6
THE MORNING . OREGOSTIAX. MONDAY, MAY 24, 1915. ,
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rOHTLAND, MONDAY. MAY CI. 1919.
ITALY'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE WAR.
Italy's chief contribution to the
cause of the allies will be an army and
navy on a war footing, prepared and
equipped In the light of the latest ex
perience gained from the military op
eration of- the last ten months. Italy
lias learned the importance of artil
lery, of abundant supplies of ammuni
tions, of entrenchments, motor vehicle
and aircraft In land warfare and of
mines, submarines and torpedo .craft
in naval warfare. She knows that
range and weight of gunpower and
epecd are the chief elements of suc
cess at sea. She has observed the rela
tive merits of mass attack and open
order attack on land. Her army and
navy are not "green," for fully 100,000
veterans of the Tripolitan war will In
spire confidence In their comrades.
The active army and first and sec
ond reserves of Italy are estimated at
about 1,250,000 men, but from Its pop
ulation of about 35,000,000 the king
dom could probably double this force.
The navy, being overwhelmingly su
perior to that of Austria, will add still
further to the predominance of France
and Britain in the Mediterranean and
may enable Britain to transfer some
ef its forces to the North for protec
tion of commerce.
Financially, Italy is less equal to
the strain of war than any of her prin
cipal new allies. Her imports In 1912
were only about $690,000,000 and her
exports about $450,000,000. Her na
tional debt is $2,852,148,000 and her
people are so heavily taxed that It is
difficult to conceive how they can en
dure any addition to the load. Britain
will probably have to supply the funds
to keep the Italian army and navy in
the field, as she is already doing to
come extent for France and Russia and
almost entirely for Belgium and Serbia.
Taking imports and exports as a meas
ure of available financial resources.
Britain surpasses all her allies com
bined. The total for the mother coun
try, the v principal colonies and India
Is $16,616,474,465. -while that for
France, Russia, Belgium, Serbia and
Japan combined is $12,421,750,000.
Add about $1,041,000,000 for Italy to
the total of Britain's allies and It is
till far below that for the empire
Itself. As in 1813 Britain supplied the
funds to put the allied armies of Eu
rope in the field against Napoleon, so
In 1915 she will do the same for the
armies arrayed against the central em
pires and Turkey.
From the standpoint of the allies,
the chief service to be rendered by
Italy will be the division of Austria's
army between the northern and south
ern ' frontiers and the hastening of
operations against Turkey. If the al
lies accomplish no more this year
than the practical elimination of Tur
key as a combatant, they will have
done much. By drawing Turkey into
the war, Germany made a great stroke
of genius. She compelled her ene
mies to divide and scatter their forces
for hostilities in widely separated fields
of action. If the allies can dispose of
Turkey and can merely hold their own
on the two main fronts, they will have
done much toward the final over
throw of their principal foes.. They
iwill have released a total land force
of not less than 500.000 men and a
powerful fleet for service elsewhere,
will have reduced Kihe enemy land
forces by an equal number, will have
Increased the effectiveness of the Rus
sian army by enabling it to procure
ample war material juid will have in
creased their available . food supply.
Should they succeed against Turkey,
they can close in on Austria and Ger
many. The war would then resojve
itself Into a gigantic siege of those two
empires by Russia on the east. Italy
and Serbia on the south, France, Brit
ain and Belgium on the west and the
British navy on the north.
Italy's accession to the ranks of the
allies closes the most important gap
Jn the ring around the Teutons. Rou
xnania may close another gap on the
cast .and the only remaining opening
would be on the Ianish frontier and
the Baltic coast. Italy lacks the money
to fight, but every man she puts in
the field will be well -worth his cost
to the allies who will supply the funds.
SENSE TALKED AT LAKE MOHONK.
The impractical idealists of Lake
Jlohonk were startled by hearing prac
tical common sense talked by Secre
tary of War Garrison, General Leon
ard Wood and President Hibben, of
Princeton, about National defense.
Naturally, the old cry of "militarist"
and "Jingo" was raised by Norman An
gell and his like, but they were com
pletely answered hy General Wood
when he said:
We soldiers and sailors are merely your
trained servants. You create wars; we try
to terminate them. Nino out of ten wars
are based on trade. The trouble with most
conferences of this kind lathat they do not
look, conditions in the face.
General Wood's statement marks
the difference between militarism and
National defense. In a democracy
such as this the people make the wars
and employ the trained soldiers and
sailors to fight them. The people of
Italy have commanded their govern
ment to make war on Austria. The
people of France, as on man, ac
claimed the decision of-.thelr govern
ment to defend their frontier. The
people of Switzerland, trained to arms,
are defending their country against
war, not making war. They are armed
for dofense, and, because they are
armed, the storm of battle sweeps past
their borders.
Mr. Angell's speech is a proof that
'conferences of this kind do not look
conditions in the face," as General
"Wood said. Mr. Angell declared that
increased armaments offered no solu
tion of the problem. No reasonable
man says it will, but in 'opposing arm
ament for that reason Mr. Angell does
not look conditions in the face. The
conditions are that the old challenge,
"Might is' right," has been thrown
down again and that no means other
than might exist for upholding right.
Until some other means are provided.
it is necessary to our National safety
that we provide sufficient might to
maintain our rights. If we refuse to
do so, we risk National extinction.
While we do this, by all means let us
do all In our power -to dethrone might
and to make it everywhere the serv
ant of right, in the sense that, ac
cording to General Wood, our soldiers
and sailors, are the trained servants
of the people. So loftg as the people
retain the power, they cannot be used
against right. Let us do our utmost
to induce other nations to :Join us in
endling the rule of might by.( estab
lishing a world court and'bjl placing
the might the armies and navies of
all nations at its disposal. Do not
let the nations which love peace lay
down their arms while those which
love -war retain theirs. Xhat would
lea-e the just a helpless prey to the
unjust. -
MR. DALY AND A CLEAN KLECTION.
This is the circus season, but it is
not becoming to Commissioner Daly
and his newspaper supporters to ride
two horses at once in the meter race.
They endeavor to gain approval of the
referended ordinance with glowing
promises of lower rates and much
economy through installation of me
ters on all services and they also point
out emphatically that the ordinance
does not provide for meters for all
services.'but for only 5000.
Mr. Daly can secure the adoption of
his ordinance by a practically unani
mous vote if he is willing to ride only
a particular one of his two horses. If
he will present a resolution to the City
Commission in which It is declared
that the universal rtieter policy is not
understood by that body to he involved
in the election; that that policy is op
posed by the Commission,' and that
the object of the ordinance is solely
to obtain the lower price incident to
quantity purchase on meters for in
stallation where there is actual, dem
onstrated, not theoretical, waste '-if
such a resolution is presented by Mr.
Daly and approved by Mayor Albee
and Mr. Dieck, who are publicly op
posed to universal meters and are also
hi-Hovers, the opposition to the ordi
nance, including that of The Orego
nlan, will disappear.
It ought to be presumed, and it la
presumed, that Mr. Daly is honest
enough not to prefer to win his fight
for meters if he has to win it by false
pretense. If approval of the referend
ed ordinance is to be considered by
him and the others of the. Commis
sion as an indorsement of a universal
meter policy, the effort to catch votes
by emphasizing the small number of
meters mentioned in the initial pur
chase is false pretense, nothing else.
In view of what Mr. Daly's handy
newspaper support is saying about the
comparatively small, number of me
ters involved on the one 'hand, and
In support of the purchase of enough
meters for all services on the other
hand, Mr. Daly owes the public a re
pudiation of one of the two arguments
which misrepresents his policy.
THE WEALTH WE BURN.
The annual fire loss of the United
States and the cost of maintaining fire
departments la estimated to be equiv
alent to a tax of $6 per capita of the
entire population. This is nearly ten
times the average for the ten leading
countries of Kurope. John 'Trlx, of
the National Association of Manufac
turers, says the fire loss could easily
be reduced 75 per cent. v
Whose fault i3 it? Almost every
body's. We are careless in handling
nre, careless jn observing Duiiding
laws and careles in enforcing the pen
alties of arson. It has become pro
verbial that the conviction of a fire
bug is almost impossible. Trie nature
of the case renders direct evidence un
obtainable in the vast majority of
cases, and judge and jury alike are un
willing to convict on circumstantial
evidence. - '
The remedy is not to; abandon
lumber as building material and thus
further injure an almost, pros
trate industry. We are too prone to
rush from one extreme to another.
Thus many may jump to the conclu
sion that the only way to prevent fires
is to build of brick, stone and con
crete. Europe, with one-tenth of our
fire loss, still builds largely of wood,
but it treats -the wood in such a way
as to make combustion slow and it
traces responsibility for fires, whether
due to carelessnes or design. It en
forces building laws, and, when their
violation causes fire. It punishes the
guilty. There is no need for the United
States to abandon our most abundant
building material. We need only to
use it in such manner that opportunity
for fire to reach it will be reduced to a
minimum.
MACHINES AND BRAINS.
A curious railroad accident hap
pened at Devon, Conn., on March 23.
It can be studied with disinterested
attention because nobody was injured
except an engineer, and he would
have been safe if he had not jumped
from his cab. As it was, he suffered
nothing wdrse than a broken finger.
A distant danger signal had been duly
displayed and the engineer admits
that he saw it clearly. This la all the
more interesting when we learn fur
ther that he was a man of long ex
perience and tested carefulness. Why
did he fail to obey the warning of the
signal?'
The terrible consequences that
might have followed upon his inat
tention were averted by an automatic
safety device which "gently derailed
the train" and thus prevented" a col
lision. This has led to . discussion
in technical journals of the possibility
of substituting automatic Rafety de
vices for the extremely fallible work
ings of the human brain in railway
emergencies. It is well known that
the most competent engineers may
overlook perfectly distinct signals, and
that again they may see and heed
them not.
It all depends upon how their men
tal machinery happens, to be working
at the critical moment. Weariness,
the burden of sad thoughts, interest
In some problem, any of these things
and many others may so distract the
engineer's attention that he becomes
for the instant as unreliable as one
born blind and deaf. The lapse is
but momentary. He quickly regains
his normal state of alertness, but in
the meantime a train may have been
wracked.
The advaptage of automatic devices
over the human brain is that they
never suffer from absent-mindedness.
They have no love affairs, do not
worry over the loss of property and
have no families to fall sick and die.
A machine, if it is properly cared for,
always works with its maximum effi
ciency, something that cannot be said
of a man. The difficulty 'with auto
matic contrivances is usually their
delicate and complicated construction.
They require incessant attention or
they will get out of order. So, aTter
all, we are finally thrown back upon
the fallible , human brain. There
seems to be ho escape from it, with
all its faults. Perhaps when it is bet
ter educated it will do better work.
TODDY NOT ABOLISHED.
It is a well settled rule of law that
when a statute sets out the form of
a legal document the form itself is
not legislation. It is merely illustra
tive or directory. This rule disposes
of the cruel effort of a contemporary
to distress some of the public with
the idea.that they will not be able to
get their toddy after the prohibition
law goes into effect.
The prohibition -law limits the quan
tity any one person or family may re
ceive by common carrier from with
out the state to not more than two
quarts of spirituous, or vinous liquors
or more than 24 quarts of malt liquors
within a period of four consecutive
weeks. Before the carrier may deliver
the shipment of liquors the consignee
must sign an affidavit the form of
which is "substantially" prescribed by
the law. This form contains the dec
laration that the liquors are to be used
for sacramental purposes only. There
fore, reasons the newspaper legal
luminary, no person or family can ob
tain delivery of any quantity for
household Jse without committing per
jury. Fortunately the courts apply more
common sense than quibblers or sen
sationalists in construing such appar
ent conflicts. They do not go to a
prescribed form or illustration to .de
termine the intent of a statute when
that intent is plainly expressed in the
body of the act. Clearly the affidavit
form was designed to fit the case of
either householder, priest, minister, or
commanding officer of a fraternal or
ganization. The keeping of two reg
isters by the county clerk is avoided
and the householder, when Tie signs
his affidavit, will merely draw a line
through the statement that the liquor
is intended for sacramental purposes.
The case is is plain as day to per
sons of ordinary intelligence, but those
who habitually contract nightmare
upon perusing any act of the last leg
islature would better avoid reading
the law and await its operations with
as much calmness as their infirmity
will permit-
THE FATHERLAND.
President Wilson has sent to the
German Catholic Union of Baltimore
an appreciative and appropriate let
ter thanking its members for their ex
pressions of loyalty and pledges of
support in the present international
crisis. It is to be expected that
Americans of German derivation and
ancestry have and would declare their
unqualified and unwavering loyalty to
the flag of the United States when
ever national danger of any kind
loomed on the internationat horizon.
We have heard from Herman Ridder,
leading advocate of pro-German
thought, that he has no divided al
legiance. From our own Dr. F. H.
Dammasch, president of the German
Speaking Societies of Oregon, we have
iearned that where America is there
his organization will be always. It
could not be doubted. It never was
doubted.
It is realized that the large body
of so-called German-Americans men
and women of German birth, or of
German parentage, but now American
citizens have been in a peculiarly
trying situation. It was natural and
indeed proper that they should sympa
thize with Germany in her titanic
struggle against her enemies. Ger
many is the Fatherland, and her sons
and daughters have spread through
out the world. There are millions of
them in America, and, while they have
assumed in good faith new duties and
new obligations in the land of their
adoption, they have not forgotten, and
they should not forget, the ties of
memory, affection, race, and tradi
tion that bind them to the old coun
try. Nor can any one find justifiable
fault with the pride every such Ameri
can has in the amazing advance of
Germany in the past half century
an unexampled national achievement,
not excelled even by the astonishing
progress of America.
In making any comparison of Ger
many and America, no informed stu
dent of current history would fail to
admit that, while the expansion of
the United States has been chiefly
industrial, political and educational,
the achievements of Germany have
overed industry,- education, science,
letters, and government. It has come
to be the first military power of the
world an accomplishment, however,
all do not acclaim and it has given
an object lessor, to all, other countries
of the strength that exists in a united
and determined patriotism. If there
is any faltering or faint-heartedness
in Germany, or any dismay that it is
face to face with a staggering combi
nation of powerful enemies, it has
given no sign. It is enlisted for the
war, and what it conceives to be the
greater service of Germany, and it
will go through to the end.
It is true that the loyalty all Ger
mans have given to Germany men of
the . same strain in race and blood
have in America given to the United
States. It is no mere term of compli
ment to say that such men and women
are good citizens. They have been,
they are, and they will be, among our
best citizens. There is a natural and
instinctive devotion to country among
men and women reared and educated
in a German atmosphere that has
been a great asset for the United
States. They have proved it time and
again. In the civil war they were
among the most valiant soldiers of
the Union, and in every other war they
have been among the first to enlist
and the last to leave the field of ac
tion. Of conservative temper and
steady processes of thought, they have
been a great balance in times of do
mestic agitation or partisan stress.
They fly off at no tangents. They
stand tor reasonable and safe meth
ods in government. They are law
abiding, and they respect authority.
They buUd homes, and they. live, in
them; they marry wives and they
live Trith them; they have children
and they rear them In the fear of God,
in love of parents, and in duty to
country'. ..."'
If any man fancies that the perils
of the Fatherland, and the possibilities
of a collision with their Adopted coun
try have not been matters of grave
and proper concern for our American
neighbors, who have relatives and
friends in the trenches, ,and who have
a treasufe of tender thoughts for the
Fatherland, let him put himself in
their place. Yet they have seen their
duty, and they will do it. "No more
could they do; no less -were they ex
pected to do.
A Tacoma woman who whipped a
3-year-old boy so severely that he died
was found guilty of murder and a Se
attle barber who choked to death his
11-months-old baby because it cried
was found guilty of manslaughter,
both the same day. The nearest ex
cuse was in the case of the man, who
is a chronic inebriate. '
PLUNGING pS WHEAT.
Government crop reports -forecast a
Winter wheat crop for the Pacific
Northwest showing a larger percent
age .of increase over the 1914 crop than
the crop for the entire United States
shows.- While the acreage for the
whole country has increased from 36,
008,000 to 40,169,000, the estimated
yield is only 9,000,000 bushels greater
than last year's actual yield, namely
693,000,000 against 684,000,000. The
respective figures for the four Pacific
Northwest states are:
' 1915. 1914.
State. Estimated. Actual.
Oregon l&,3uu.tMK 13,684. 0x
Washington .. SO,W0.U0O 23.440.OOO
Idaho ". 10.600,000 9.32a. OOO
Montana 16.800,000 11,068,000
So far the prospects are for a much
larger Spring wheat crop throughout
the United States than that of last
year, sowing being farther advanced,
acreage larger and soil and 'moisture
conditions better. Were the Spring
crop only to equal that of 1914 206,
000.000 bushels it would, added to
the Winter " wheat total, bring the
year's production beyond that year's
grand total, but it may equal the 240,
000,000 bushels of 1913 or even the
record 330,000,000 of 1912. . .
The farmers are plunging on -wheat,
and the average farm prices reported
by the Government seem to Justify
them. These were on May 1, this year
and last year, for the four Northwest
states:.
state. 1D15. 1014.
Oregon $1.16 .S-
Washington 117 .')
Idaho .. , 1.07 .7-1
Montana 1.46 .73
That increase in price is tempting,
but suppose the opening, of the Dar
danelles should release a great supply
of Russian wheat; suppose Canada,
India and Argentina should come for
ward with record crops. Then sup
pose peace should come suddenly in
mid-harvest or ' before the crop is
marketed. What a tumble the market
would take! Any. one or" all of these
things are possible. Some of them are
extremely probable. We know that the
Canadian Government1 has offered a
premium for increased acreage in the
hope of enlarging the yield 60 per
cent. Other countries have the same
temptation to enlarge acreage as the
United States has. Kurope is doing
its utmost under the handicap of war
to increase production.
The wise farmer may once more
prove to be he who did not plunge on
one crop because of an artificial boom,
the causes of which may disappear. at
any moment and leave the market in
the condition of a collapsed balloon.
He is likely to be the man who, to
gether with a fair proportion of wheat,
continued to grow root crops, fodder,
livestock and hogs and to keep up his
dairy herd. If wheat continues high,
he will not make quite as much money
as his plunging neighbors, but if the
bottom falls out of the wheat market,
he will still be' safe and .pi ay buy his
neighbor's wheat to feed to his hogs.
The Oregonian minks The Argus is wrong,
and that Portland will escape from the water
meter peddler. Perhaps she will. But if she
does it will be by reason of The Oregonian
pointing out that m quarter of a million dol
lars stolen is no worse than the same amount
of money wasted. Seattle Ar g us.
The taxpayer foots the bill In' either
case.
It is best that Italy draft Marconi,
and stop his inventive mind. His lat
est device, to enable people to see what
is happening behind a brick wall, puts
a great weapon in the hands of a jeal
ous wife or husband.
Battle Creek is famous for its health
foods and the manufacturer who re
fused an order to make $3000 worth
of shrapnel a day is not going to de
stroy the fame of the city's best
known product.
California should not be despondent
about the outlook for her grape , in
dustry. Let her consider the demand
for grapejuice when the Bryan style
of diplomacy has been universally
adopted.
Oregon hens are In second place in
the laying contest at San Francisco,
which is very good, but not enough.
They belong at the head of the list.
If Austria had only known last July
how often she would be pained in the
succeeding year, she would never have
sent that ultimatum to Serbia.
If a grandmother is dangerously ill
on the day of a big ame, nothing
less than death is the excuse when
Buffalo Bill oomes to town.
The estimated cost of the war for a
year, $17,400,000,000, is too big to be
comprehended. This is the season of
the batting average. .
If spots on the sun are responsible
for Lassen's outbreak, why not charge
family troubles to the same cause and
let it go at that?
The deficiency of rainfall is hanging
around 'fourteen inches, which Port
land will throw off gladly to clear the
elate this week.
The citizen handy with the pen who
does not write his ideas to the news
papers Is not living up to his rights
and Mights.
Political bosses have been added to
the category of those who cannot be
libeled, having no reputation to main
tain. - . ' -
A convention of the deaf must be
restful to those whose ears ring with
the discordant sounds of the streets.
Mount Lassen looked over to Eu
rope and blew off its head in .an out
burst, of professional jealousy. '
King Albert has decorated Kitch
ener, but did the Earl 'stand for being
kissed on both cheeks? ,
Perhaps in other places besides
Syracuse dynamite is being carried in
automobiles.
There was not much thought of the
Prince of Peace in Italy on Sunday.
The. Beavers will be home tomor
row. et all forget, and forgive.
Roosevelt made even the polling of
the jury spectacular. .
The coupon clippers had an unex
pected day off.
The war microbe is now working on
Rouniania. " '
BACK PRATER WITH ARMED FORCE
Correspondent Doubts Efficacy of Meek
Spirit AmoDff Nations.
RENO, Nev., May 19. (To the Edi
tor.) Commenting on the remarks of
Professor Coleman before the Y. M. C.
A. in Portland a few days ago, I don't
think there is an officer or enlisted
man In the Army or Navy but would
like to see the war in Europe and any
trouble in which we might become in
volved settled according to his plan.
But all men in or out of the service
with good common sense are aware of
the unfortunate fact that it Is a diffi
cult matter to, settle trouble in this
way.
The saying, "In time of peace prepare
for war," is a very true one, and can be
construed to mean: "Prepare for
peace" as well, for the stronger we are
the less likely are we to have trouble
or be imposed upon. We notice in In
sects, animals, etc., the weaker ones
always lose out, and It is the same with
men. If we know a man to be strong
and handy with hla fists we are careful
about provoking him.
Now, as regards settling trouble in
a Christian way, with .all respect for
those so inclined let us assume that we
have a troublesome neighbor, and wo
all run across them at times. Our dog
or chickens get through the fence into
his yard. Instead of coming to us and
reporting the matter, he ltjlla our dog
or chickens and throws them over the
fence. They may be valuable or we
may think a lot, of them and would
willingly pay even more than they were
worth rather than lose tliem and to keep
peace. We try to explain and smooth
It over, which gives the fellow the im
pression that we are afraid of him, and,
instead, of making peace, he becomes
more insulting perhaps to the extent
of Insulting our wife or children.
I do not know Professor Coleman,
but, under the last named conditions,
I venture to say that he would gtve
this fellow what was coming' to him
a sound walloping and he wouldn't be
likely to burden himself with his bible
or try to put any prayers across either,
unless it might be prayers? for the fel
low's -recovery after he had finished
with him.
Hundreds who have tried the Chris
tian way have prone down to martyrs'
graves. Dr. Whitman tried it years ago
at Walla Walla, and apparently had the
love and respect of the Indians, but
they got him and his family. General
Canby tried it with the Modocs in 1873.
He went out with members of a peace
commission for a conference with the
Indians unarmed, against the best of
advice, but he was a Christian gentle
man and had given his word to come
unprotected, for which he forfeited his
life, after which followed one of the
worst Indian campaigns in the history
of our country.
It might be a good idea, however, to
have the professor, in case of war, mus
ter all who think as he does and. armed
only with bible, let them go out and
meet the enemy and try prayers on
them. But I would advise as a precau
tionary measure to have three or Sour
army corps, well drilled and equipped,
to bring up the rear, in case the plan
failed. T. F. FITZGERALD.
LOVE-MAKING IX THE PICTURES
Movie Actress Not Type That Dickens
Loved to Portray.
PORTLAND, May 23. (To the Edi
tor.) Some days ago you printed on
your editorial page such a "slam" at
women of the Dickens and Thackeray
type, indeed, at any woman who pre
sumed to be sentimental in either a
novel or a movie, that somehow I have
not been able to forget it.
Of course, it can't be that the writer
of that might I call it a philliplc?
has Just been divorced for Incompati
bility of temperament, or been turned
down by his best girl, so I want to
enlighten him as to just what was
the matter with the Dickens-Thackeray
type of woman, and how the movie
actress, no matter how sentimental
she may have to be on occasions, dif
fers. The swooning, tearful, heart-broken
female, who must crawl into a corntfr
and die if the man she imagined her
self in love with didn't take her to
ils manly bosom in holy wedlock, was
purely a creation of men's ideals of
what a 1 woman ought to "be. They
wanted to be sure she was sufficiently
weak-minded and sufficiently good
for nothing physically, so that by con
trast, the man would appear like a
demigod. For the consolation of the
editor who doesn't like that type of
woman, let me say that women don't
like her either, so there are practically
no more of her left.
As to the movie woman see the dif
ference. She may fall in love now and
then but that's merely an incident in
her career. Her real business is deep
sea swimming, jumping from the sec
ond story of burning houses,' hanging
to the timbers of a bridge while a
train thunders, across, and such genteel
little stunts, which mark her as no
more like the weepy, fainting female
of dear old Dickens than she is like
the extinct dodo. Besides, I don't be
lieve that editor hates to see a little
love-making at the' movies half as
much as he tries to make out.
A WOMAN.
HARMONY.
Live every minute you have to lei
Love everything you can:
Do every task that is good to do;
Plan what is good to plan;
Smile every minute you have to smile
And, like immortal Pan,
Music will follow where'er you go.
Then you will be a man. ..
See everything that is good to see;
Hear what is good to hear;
Dream when there's plenty of time to
dream:
Cheer when there's aught to cheer;
Praise everything' that deserves your
- pj-alse;
Flatter not those most dear;
Treat every fellow you know the same;
Each is a brother here.
Better know little than far too much;
Never condemn the low;
Treat every prince of a man as such.
If you honor him. tell him so:
Be not a friend to a rich man's gold;
Sow what you have to sow.
Trust in the wealth of your head' and
heart;
There's plenty of time to mow.
Grin when you feel it is good to grin;
Shun what is good to ehun:
Keep lots of sand for the slippery way
And powder to fill your gun;
If each of these virtues abide In you.
If you cherish them, every one.
Go -to your mother, for you are much
Too perfect for me. my eon!
. , LOUIS J. BALLBACH.
"THE LIGHTS OK THE CITY.
See the little lights come dancing.
Just like baby stars a-glanclng;
Dancing here and dancing there;
Dance and glimmer; Dance and glim
mer! Now they're dancing everywhere.
Little lights that come a-wlnking.
Up and down the streets a-blinking.
Shining over hate and love:
Winking, blinking, all a-twlnkllng.
Rivalling the sky above.
SARA B. WRENN.
Who Was Ploseer Quartermaster f
PORTLAND. May 23. (To the Edi
tor.) I am very anxious to find out
the name of the Quartermaster under
Coloney Kelsey, of Corvallis, in the
Rogue River Indian War,- in 1855-6.
Your help to the above information
will be appreciated by the widow of
one of the soldiers.
M. M. EDRIS,
141 E. Morrison street.
Half a Century Ago
From The Oregonian of May 24, 1805.
The Hon. J. W. vNesmith, United
States Senator from Oregon, may be
expected upon the arrival of the steam
er from Oregon City this afternoon.
Mr. Nesmith has ever been a warm and
energetic supporter of Mr. Lincoln's
measure for putting down the rebel
lion.
If there be a nuisance more deserv
ing of attention in this eitv. than that
of the hundreds, thousands, yea. mil-'j
lions or billions of dogs, we should like
to see where it comes in.
General Grant, it is said, has cap
tured more prisoners than any general
of modern times. Including the com
mands of Buchner at Fort Donelson,
Pemberton, at Vicksburg, Lee in Vir
ginia, and the smaller captures made
by him, will run the number of pris
oners he has made to fully one hun
dred thousand.
The horrors of the LIbby are not yet
wholly past: it is a horrible place even
now. Not a few of our officers and
men confined there at different periods
during the war have visited it since to
recall a series of shuddering, experi
ences in the presence of kindred facts.
A porter engaged at Richardson's
Auction -and Commission House In
stowing away flour was yesterday acci
dentally buried underneath a pile of
some tons which fell upon him.
It is no longer doubted but that the
Snake River "can be navigated from a
point about 125 miles overland above
Umatilla, and plans are now nearly ma
tured in this city whereby steamers
will make their way to the region .of
Salmon Falls.
Twenty-Five Years Ago
From Oregonian of May "4. lMtit.
President Spalding, of the Chicago
League club, expressed himself on the
baseball situation again yesterday. .He
dwelt on the poor attendance at the
games so far, and saw no Balvatlon for
baseball.
East Portland will have a surfeit of
political excitement and enthusiasm
this evening. The Democrats will have
a meeting in Armory Hall on N and
Fourth streets. David Dudley Lynch
will addresa the meeting. The Repub
licans will have their grand rally at
the corner of Fourth and 11 streets.
Captain Zaiinskl, of dynamite gun
fame, returns from a tour of Europe,
filled -with news that a great conti
nental war la impending. He found, all
the European powers straining every
nerve to prepare loj war.
The isolation of the Pacific States
from the other seaboard states of the
country has found forcible illustration
in the condition of the grain tonnage
market in' the past few weeks.
Governor Pennoyer and Treasurer
G. W. Webb addressed the people in
this city yesterday afternoon.
Governor Pennoyer touched upon one
question Heretofore left out of his
speeches, that is, the silver question.
He eulogized ' Senator Mitchell for
favoring free coinage of silver.
This is the last week but one of the
political campaign. The election will
take place June 2. The only betting so
far has been on the Governorship. It
is estimated that about $10,000 has been
put. Gunst & Co. hold S 4000 which has
been wagered on even terms. A. M.
Hamilton, the bookmaker, and Woods,
the hatter, put up $300 each on Mr.
Thompson and Governor Pennoyer, re
spectively. "
Measures on Ballot
No. e.
Correction of a peculiar wording of
the city charter which makes It pos
sible for a new city employe to take
the place of a man longer in the serv
ice, is the purpose of a proposed charter
amendment to be voted upon at the city
election June 7.
As the charter stands now It provides
that reappointments to the service after
employes have been laid off on account
of lack of work, shall be made in the
order of dismissal, the first to be laid
off being the first to be taken back to
work.
It is proposed to change this so that
reappointment will be on the basis of
original appointment, or, in other words,
on the basis of seniority in service. The
following example shows the Intent of
the proposed charter change:
A haa been in the service for five
yearsK has been in the service a
mont-lti itjjlack times come and the men
are larr-bff. B being the first. When
work starts again B. who has been em
ployed only one month, goes back be
fore A, who is one of the city's regular
and older men. Under the change A
would go back first and B second.
COPPERHEAD l0 IS CHALLENGED
Neutral-Bred Canine Available to Set
tle Lnaltanla Controversy.
KALAMA, Wash.. May 23. (To the
Editor.) In The Oregonian recently
the editor was courteously invited by
a correspondent to a fight with hla
bulldog. Truly a clearer insight I.ito
German military reasoning could not
be had. The whole pith or German
war. policy Is there brutal, selfish
force against manhood and the rights
of others.
If your correspondent can get away
from his "cultured" reasoning a mo
ment he will admit the cowardice of
siring a beast on a human being. Be
fore resorting to such a "military ne
cessity," a la Belgium, I have a neutral-bred
bulldog that will be pleased
to call on your correspondent's bull
dog to satisfy any hunger pangs the
latter may feel and to Impress on his
master, if possible, the fact that bully
ism can't succeed.
ROBERT E. MORGAN.
Population by Continents.
TORTLAND, May 23. (To the Edi
tor.) Kindly publish the estimated
population of the world by continents.
North America, South America, Europe,
Asia, Africa and Australia.
A SUBSCRIBER.
Africa. 180.000,000; North America,
130,000.000; Bouth America, 35.000.000;
Asia. 800.000,000; Australiasia, 8,000.000:
Europe. 450,000,000; polar regions,
300.000. -
Challenge of a Recruit.
London Sketch.
The officer (having been challenged
by1 a recruit and seeking to improve the
occasion) I say, you know, that was
quite right; but you left out "All's
well!" The Recruit "All's well." is
it. sir? An' me two feet like a block
of ice!
CrltlrUm of Cheerful Giver.
Chicago Herald.
"De Lawd loveth a churful giver!"
solemnly said Parson Bagster. after the
collection had been taken up. "But"
the good old man darted a glance at
the well-nigh empty plate "1 dunno
whun he finds any of "era!" I
Marriage la Legnl.
PORTLAND, May 23. (To the Edi
tor.) Please tell me if a marriage is
legal where both parties give wrong
names. E. H. K.
PROHIBITION IS ' IMPRACTICABLE.
Kansas Falls to Attain It In 35 Years'
Effort, Sayn Mr. f.llmore.
LOUISVILLE. Ky May 19. (To the
Editor.) Among the letters published
by you in connection with the inter
change between the Rev. R. p. Hutton.
of the Anti-Saloon League, and myself,
is. that of E. T. Johnson, of Yrcka, Cal.
Mr. Johnson very frankly confesses
that the present Oregon amendment 1
but a stepping-stone to real prohibi
tion an admission that I believe th
anti-saloon leaders In Oregon art
rather chary about making.
Mr. Johnson promises that liquor will
be shut out completely after a while.
But we "have nothing but Mr. John
son's word for It.
Kansas is boasted of by Prohibition
ists as an example of what prohibition
can do. We are told how practically
everyone' in Kansas is for prohibition.
And yet. In spite of this supposed
overwhelming sentiment, .which leads
Governors, Senators and other high of
ficials to make prohibition speeches
In all sections. Kansas has no ril
prohibition today. And Kansas has
been in the prohibition ranks since,
10.
Why are we to expect Oregon's case
to be different from that of Kansas?
Oregon 1ms voted to wipe out a bis:
business interest, to confiscate prop
erty worth millions, to put all legal
dealers in wine, beer and whisky be
yond the pale. And all to what pur
pose? That men outsido the fctate,
who pay no taxes, may sell these arti
cles to her citizens or that men inside
the state who choose to become out
laws may accomplish the same, thing.
But." says Mr. Johnson. "Just wait!
When the time comes we will cloae up
the chinks and make it really dry."
All very fine, but how has Kansas
closed up the chinks? At the last ses
sion of the Legislature, held this year,
the Kansas Scnatu failed to pass a bill
already .passed by the House, intended
to make the Federal Webb-Ken von
law effective and shut off liquor ship
ments from outside the state. If this
happened in Kansas, after 35 years of
prohibition, with all officials com -pletely
under the thumb of prohibi
tionists, how soon is Oregon to see the
result promised by Mr. Johnson?
Mr. Johnson's frankness lays bare the
Impracticability of the entire prohi
bition idea. It places too much reli
ance on the Idea of reform by statute
instead of by Individual education.
I believe Oregon has made a mis
take in listening to such visionaries.
With a model license system she could
regulate the sale of liquor, or alter its
form. If the people think the saloon
must be done away with, the way to
real temperance Is through some sub
stitute sales plan, such as the hotel-and-cafe
Idea of sales at tables (the
bar to be abolished) or the merchants'
license system, with all sales in pack
age form.
Prohibition has never given any per
manent progress in the fight for renl
temperance because It strikes at the
problem In the wrong way. Regula
tion can point to present results in
stead of offering promises for tha
future. T. M. GILMORE,
1'reMdent National Model License
Dcaguc.
SPELLING AS IT IS I MII, IKIED
English Soelrty Outdoes Ml Others In
Orthographic Reform.
PORTLAND. May 23. (To the TMi
tor.) An editorial appearing in The
Oregonian, May 21. anent the spelling
of "dispatch" or "despatch" states "the
charm of our language Is its uniform
and scientific orthography." Those
who have given the subject thought are
of your opinion In this matter. Learn
ing to s.pell in our language is an
arduous scientific task, and no cither
tongue approximates it in the uniform
ity of writing words one way and pro
nouncing them In another. Spelling
reform societies, both here and In Kng
land, are engaged In devising reforms
to make the acquiring of English less
scientific and easier.
The following, from th April Issue
of the Pioneer on "Simplified Spelling."
shows to what length the Britinh would
go to. reform the language: The spell
ing fa that of the Simplified Sp ling
Sosieti, 44 Great Russell street, Lon
don: Erven In theer tiems Aur fcnnteinporMrl The
filobe liaz lost nun ov In nokturnal irietll
ne. IiliKllnli spelinit Iz a faivorlt but "r
lis wit. We kwoet tho fololn frunl reeent
Isyus: "I'risemysl for the lasnt fvu dsls mat
b sed tu hav held thi! wurld pl -tnJund."
"Mr. .Iwsies IiourIhs In a re,snt urlikl tsuks
shout -returning llermany'i lend." That ir.
the wurt or our KnKilnh spelinic: the hoej
thlim depends on whether the laat wurd
rlcrni with -feed" or 'fed.'"
The Englishman's readiness for in
dulging in furious controversies over
matters of pronunciation and orthog
raphy is characteristic, and the British
spelling reformers' are bent on start
ing something which may make the
present war appear an Insignificant
conflict. HERMAN LOLDING.
GOOD SliKX IN nilLDIJ CIIANCiE
Mill tonslruollon In Two-Story Hnlld
lng In Eire Limits I raed.
PORTLAND, May 23. (To the Edi
tor.) A big reduction of the fire haz
ard in the down-town district can b?
made by allowing two-story mill "0n
structed buildings to take the place of
old frame shacks.
Aside from the discussion of whether
mill construction with automatic
sprinklers is as safe as concrete and
steel for two stories, tlia fact that wn
are doing away with the dangerous old
frame building will lessen the Are rUk
to u great extent.
Kurthermore, it would beautify our
city by making the streets look uni
form, in place of what we have now:
an old cottage Jacked up about 16 feet
high with a store under it.
These old frame buildings are always
untidy: they need repairing and re
painting, but they aren't worth it and
so the owners never do It. 1'nder the
present building ordinance these build
ings. If torn down, must he replaced
with concrete and steel buildings if at
all.
The time Is not ripe for a perma
nent building that the site demands, so
why not let the property owner Im
prove with a good mill-constructed
building, so that he may get some re
turns on hla investment, until business
demands a taller and better building?
It will help Portland In many ways
If this section of the building code Is
modified so as lo allow two-story
buildings of mill construction.
CHARLIOS W. ERTZ.
Deduction and Pay sir.
Dallas (Texas) News.
Doctor "Why have you deducted a
quarter from my bill?" Patient "That
is for the lx clgara you broke when
you thumped my chest."
Help Your
Own Pocketbook,
f Mr. Retailer
It's the dollars that go Into your
cash register that count for you.
When the manufacturer talks to
the people of this city through the
advertising columns of this news
paper he rsi talking to your cus
tomers. They will want to see his goods
and some of these will come to your
store and ask for them.
At the time the manufacturer's
newspaper advertising is running,
co-operate with it by showing the
goods and pushing them.
Help the manufacturer and your
self at the same time.