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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (June 10, 1915)
TIIE MORNING OREGONIAN. THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1915. 10 PORTLAND, OREGON. Entered at Portland. Oregon, Fostofflce as second-class matter, fcubscrlption Rates Invariably la adrance. (By Mall.) Pally. Bunday Included, one year ? S2 Daily. Sunday included, alx months TL.Jl lal!y. Sunday Included, three monUU ... rally, Sunday Included, one month ..... . Daily, without Sunday, one year - " Dally, without Sunday, six months Dally, without Sunday, throe months ... x.io Daily, without Sunday, one month ...... M Weekly, one year - bunday, one year buuday and W eekly, one year (By Carrier.) Daily, Sunday Included, one year -"" Daily. Sunday Included, one month 13 Bow to Remit tjend Poatofflee money or der, express order or personal check on your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency are at sender's rlak. Oire poatofflce addresa In full. Including county and state. rootage Kates ia to 1 pares, 1 cent; 18 to 3 pases, a cents; 34 to pates, 8 cents, bu to 00 pages. cents; 62 to . pages, o cents; 78 to 92 pages, oenta. Foreign post age, double ratea. Eastern BaMnes Office Veres & Oonklln, New York, Brunswick building: Chicago, btenger building. PORTLAND, THl'BSDAI, JtJNE 10, !!& THE BKTAS PEACE POXJCY. In the present critical stage of our relations with, Germany, the effect of Mr. Bryan's resignation on the atti tude of that country towards the United States Is of no less importance than its effect on this country's policy towards Germany. Unless the war lords absolutely dominate every de partment of the German. Government and unless they are wholly reckless how many enemies they array against the empire, Germany's reception of the American demands must be ma terially influenced by the character and opinions of the men who compose the United States Government, and particularly of the man in charge of our foreign relations. Hence the res ignation of the foremost champion of peace at any price and of arbitration and conciliation for any and all dis putes must be taken by Germany as notice that it Is not wise to presume on the pacific disposition of the Amer ican people. Mr. Bryan's statement of his reasons for resigning shows how little hope there would have been of inducing Germany to make reparation for past wrongs and to do no further wrongs to American citizens, if his policy had been adopted-. He proposed that, be cause thirty nations have adopted his plan of devoting a year to inquiry into a dispute before beginning war, and because Germany has accepted it in principle, it should be adopted in the case of submarine attacks on Ameri- i ii eiiia aim aiuciivou tiLinLi. -- many not only accepted in principle, but signed and ratified several of the Hague treaties and the Belgian neu trality treaty, but they have not inter fered with her actions. During the year of delay, the contention of which nation would prevail as to commerce on the high seas, that of the United States or that of Germany? Were wo to suffer Germany to adhere to her submarine policy during that year, we should practically license Germany for one year to destroy American lives and property. Were Germany to limit her submarine warfare In conformity with international law, she would seriously restript for one year what she consid ers a most effective means of Injuring her enemies. There Is no reason to believe that she would do this unless the alternative were the certainty of war with this country. The Bryan plan also would forbid the United States doiring the year to increase its armed forces, though Ger many is already on a most complete war footing. Our abstention from war during that year might give victory to Germany over the allies. If then we failed to reach an agreement and war ensued, Germany would be amply ready, with a great veteran army and navy on a war looting, wniie we snouia 1 I . . 1 . . .4 .V. . . k.lrfHCT K- iiiisci a-AJlj uui vaiAj laaaviaBu a.a.b bound ourselves not to prepare. This application of the Bryan plan to a con crete case' proves how utterly imprac tical it is. " Mr. Bryan attempts to overcome this difficulty by denying the right of an American citizen to Involve his coun try in trouble by traveling on belliger ent ships. He proposes that the Presi dent, if he legally can. prevent Amer icans from traveling on belligerent ships or on ships carrying ammuni tion, and that, if the President lacks this power, warning be given against traveling on such ships. He In fact proposes that Americans abstain from the exercise of undoubted rights in order to save their Government the trouble of protecting them in the exer cise of those rights and of compelling other nations to respect American rights. What are rights worth if they must be used only when other nations do not choose to violate them? What would be the standing of the United States among nations if it were in ef fect to proclaim that its citizens could tmly .exercise the fundamental rights to life and property on sufferance of other nations? What security would any of our citizens have in any foreign country under such circumstances? Jut muk.ii; lui uaia una nauuit contends is that neutral nations have the right to continue commerce and travel undisturbed in time of war, ex cept for unavoidable and accidental consequences of war. Neutral ships are liable to search and to capture for carrying contraband, but in all case the lives of neutrals and of non-combatant citizens of belligerent states are secure, even when they are on mer chant ships of belligerent nationality. It is essential that the United States stand firmly for this principle, first, in defense of Amerlcsya rights, and, sec ond, for the purpose of maintaining our neutrality. Were the Govern ment to forbid Americans to travel -on belligerent ships, it would injure and -discriminate against the commerce of the belligerents affected. Our citizens no doubt run a certain risk, even when international law is strictly observed. but they have a right to take that Tisk. The Government must assume Ihe risk arising from violations of in ternational law, if this Nation is to be worthy of the name of Nation, and must exact satisfaction from offend 1ng powers. - The suggestion that Americans be warned against traveling on belliger ent ships or on ships carrying ammu nltlon is supported by Mr. Bryan with a reference to a Mayor's warning that citizens keep off the streets during a riot. If he had carried the parallel farther, he would have found that it works against his own contention. If, in spite of the warning, a citizen goes on the street and is shot, the Mayor does all in his power to arrest and punish . his assailant, lie does not consider that the warning relieves him from responsibility for enforcing the law. Neither would Mr. Bryan s pro posed warning relieve the President of the duty of bringing to justice the offending nation, by diplomacy if pos sible, by war If necessary. This prin. clple is carried so far in some states that the county is held financially 11a blo for damage done by riota. The county of Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Issued a large amount of bonds to pay Judgments for damage done in the riots of 1877. A nation, like a county, assumes certain duties' which It can not escape by forbidding its citizens to exercise fundamental rights or by warning of danger in exercising them. Events will in all probability prove that the best service Mr. Bryan has done to the cause of peace Is to retire from the Cabinet. His presence there was taken as notice that the Admin istration was for peace at any price. That was a direct invitation to some nation to bring about a situation where this Nation would have had the choice between a dishonorable peace and war. We greatly mistake the tem per of the American people if, when offered such an alternative, they would not choose war. Mr. Bryan's retirement Is notice to the world that the Administration desires peace with honor, but is prepared to accept the alternative war. Knowing this, Ger many is likely to think more than once before forcing war upon us. NOT SYSTEMS, BtT MEN. There is a proposition before the New VArir at a I , constitutional convention to re duce the number of State Senators from m to 24, six or them to do seiectea at large Here In Oregon there will probably be a proposition put up to the people at the next election to entirely wine out the upper bouse of tbs Legislature and it will carry with little opposition. Salem Capital Journal. If it is desirable to reduce the mem bership in the Legislature, and to have a single chamber as well, the suggestion is ventured that the easy and practicable way is to abolish the House. It has sixty members, while the Senate continues to get along with a meager thirty. But let us assume that the Senate In Oregon will be dropped out and that we have a unicameral Legislature of fifty or sixty members. It is not to be sup posed that the well-known and repre sentative men who have heretofore stood as candidates for the Senate will retire from public life. They will un doubtedly become candidates .for the Legislature, and they will be ejected. What then ? So long as our methods of popular election are what they- are, nothing will be accomplished in raising the personnel of Legislatures by abolish ing one house, or the other. It would seem that Oregon, has had enough of the abolishers, who want to d-estroy or overthrow systems when they do not work well, and substitute other sys tems which will not work at alL The problem for Oregon, and for the a tion, is not new ideas in Government so much as old ideas of economy, effi ciency, diligence and duty put into ef fect by good men. " ' UiT THEU BACK US TP. The Oregonian. is' only mildly .inter ested in the reproduction from Its col umns, by the Washington Manufac turers of Portland Cement, of an edi torial article, printed last February, discussing roads in Benton .County and incidentally saying that "such a road (viz., concrete road costing $10,000 a mile), properly graded and drained, would have lasted, with mod erate annual repairs for a hundred years." But The Oregonian is a great deal interested in the important matter ot proper roads for Multnomah County, and it purposes to support the County Commissioners in getting the best possible roads at fair prices. On that account it has insisted that there be no experiments and that the contrac tors be held to a strict accountability both when the road is built and after it is built The Oregonian, it appears, has ven tured the opinion that a concrete road, properly built, graded and drained, and with moderate annual repairs might last a hundred years. That is a long time. It will be well to see if the cement road contractors have even a modicum of The Oregonian's confi dence in their handiwork. Let; them, for example, offer a substantial and enforcible guaranty that a concrete road will last even a tenth of a hun dred years, and their proposal will be entitled to the fullest and fairest con sideration by the County Commission ers and the public It is to be hoped thai. The Orego nian was not mistaken four months ago when it thought concrete roads with moderate annual repairs might last a very long time, and that the Washington Manufacturers of Port land Cement will not hesitate to back up the concrete roadbullders in an ample bond that they will remain sound and safe for at least a decade. STATISTICS AND FACTS. Most people meekly bow the head and slink Into silence when statistics are quoted against them. "Figures cannot lie" has been dinned into our ears until most of us believe it, al though nothing is more deceptive than a column of statistics deftly han dled. In spite of our reverence for figures,. we know from current reading that the same ones can be made by a little manipulation to prove direct op- posites. It all depends upon the man behind the fleures. Perhaps the best instance of the double life led by statistics is afforded by the "truths" they reveal concern ing women's colleges. Today some great statistician sadly shakes his head as he warns us that college women are committing race suicide at a fearful rate. They do not get mar ried, and, if they do, then they pro duce no children. Moral, teach your daughters to shun the women's col leges. Tomorrow some equally eml nent master of statistics soothes our troubled souls by proclaiming that the women who go to college never would have married in any case. Their edu cation has simply prepared them to earn an honest living. It has not modi fied their phlloprogenitiveness In any way. The common preference for small families which is observed among married couples in these days depends more on economic causes than on col lege education. Toung men put oft marriage because they dread the pinch and worry of straitened means. A sal ary which suffices handsomely for a bachelor sometimes falls woefully short for a man and wife. The fiction that two persons can live on less than one has led many a blushing bride to the divorce court. Nor is it at all un natural that a single woman who can support herself comfortably should hesitate to give up her salary and be come an unpaid cook and washer woman for the man she loves. Con siderations like these affect marriage statistics far more than Latin and Greek do. There is one more factor entering into the matter that most of our sapi ent statisticians overlook.- It is the growing reluctance of married couples to bring large families into a world where children are likely to entail hardship upon both their parents and themselves. In many caeca a family budget that will care comfortably for one child or two becomes pitiably inadequate if more are to share it. Two children can be reared in happy surroundings, nurtured well and thoroughly educat ed, while three or more must inevita bly feel the degrading pinch of pov erty. Under modern conditions large families often imply for the parents the loss of social position,' the sacri fice of home comforts, going without books, music and recreation. A great many considerations of this sort must be taken into account if we would understand the current tendency toward a low birth rate. "It is some times argued that parents should be eager to make a complete sacrifice of their own welfare for that of their children, but unhappily it Is impossi ble for the father and mother to drop down in the social scale without drag ging their offspring with them. And the more numerous the offspring the deeper the falL BACH AND KRt'PP. For the last ten years the town of Bethlehem, in Pennsylvania, has held an annual musical festival in honor of John Sebastian Bach, the father of modern music. He began the long and glorious line that gave Beethoven, Weber,- Schumann, Schubert, Wagner and a host more composers of the first rank to the world. Such were the men that made Germany great. They were worth more than all her Kaisers and warriors. Bethlehem has just closed the tenth Bach festival. As usual. It is one of the great musical events of the year, and as time passes and artistic tradi tions cluster around the town, its im portance must - go on increasing. Bach's music is commonly supposed to be too scientific for popular liking. but that is nonsense. It is full of power and passion when adequately performed. In men like Bach the as piration "Deutschland ueber Alles" is fulfilled. No such musician as he ever lived before or since. Goethe stands in the first rank of poet3, Kant with the sublimest philosophers. They con quered the world with their genius as the Kaiser never can with Krupp guns and submarines. A TIME FOR OPTIMISM. "I believe," says the optimistic chairman of the Democratic State Cen tral Committee, "that Bryan will con tinue to give his support to the Ad ministration." "I believe," says Dr. C. J. Smith, re cent Democratic candidate for Gov ernor, "that Bryan will continue his support of the Administration." An other optimist. "I believe," says Postmaster My ers, "that" Mr. Bryan will continue to support the Administration, and I do not believe he will ever be a candidate for President again." It remained for our cheerful Postmaster to achieve the sublimest heights of optimism. But Secretary Bryan, while some what of an optimist himself, evidently visions the future In another light. He differed from the President on arbi tration with Germany and on warning to Americans to stay at home. "The President," says Mr. Bryan, with great consideration for the feel ings of his friend who a few years ago expressed a mild desire to knock him into a "cocked, hat, the President may be right in. the position he has taken, but as a private citizen I am free to urge both of these propositions and to call public attention to these remedies in the hope of securini such an expression of public sen Ument as will support the Presi dent in employing these remedies, if in the future he finds It consistent with his sense of duty to favor them." Thus we see that ex-Secretary Bryan will support the Administration if the Administration supports the Bryan proposals. But the President will not and Mr. Bryan will say what he has to say. I'NKNIOHTED POETS. Rabindranath Tagore could he knighted because he was a citizen of the British Empire,- The honor was conferred upon him in due course, as It was on Tennyson, Walter Scott and other men of letters, and he deserves it as well a most of them. United States poets cannot be knighted be cause the Constitution forbids the Gov ernment to confer orders of nobility on anybody, ho matter how eminent Great Britain makes knights and bar ons of her big brewers more fre quently than of other geniuses, but we follow a different policy. We abolish ours. Perhaps the honor we give our poets is as good as knighthood. It is difficult to see how a title of nobility would make Longfellow any more widely read or better loved than' he is. Poe would not have been deemed worthy of a title by any ordinary gov ernment, and neither would Whitman, Such an act would require more dis cernment than most politicians possess. Even the American people, shrewd as we think ourselves, have needed some decades to perceive how great these two poets really were. Two or three more who are writing today give prom ise of becoming equally great in time One of them is Edgar Lee Masters, the author of "Spoon River Anthol ogy." This extraordinary book of poems takes up the history of Spoon River's distinguished citizens and relates it for each in half a dozen lines. To per ceive at once the real flavor of the work, read first. "Elsa Whitman." She was the German girl who worked in Thomas Greene's kitchen. Then read "Hamilton Greene." He was Eisa's son. The two poems show how much there is in aristocratic lineage and high breeding. The Chicago magazine fPoetry" says of Mr. Mas ters that "he reveals the soul of a community." He has done more than that. He reveals the soul of man. A WARNING TO FRATERNAL8. The decision of the United States Supreme Court upholding the new in surance rates of the Royal Arcanum establishes, a sound principle for the guidance of all fraternal societies and sounds a warning against new so cieties which seek to attract members by means of low rates. Finding that as its original mem bers grew older, its death ratio in creased out of proportion to its pre mlum receipts and its accession of new members, the Royal Arcanum revised Its rates in such a manner that the older members were required to pay increased rates. Some of the latter took the matter into court, contending that they had Joined the order on the understanding that the original rates could not be changed and that the new rates Imposed an unjust burden upon them when age had reduced their power to pay. The officers of the or der maintained that a revision of rates was necessary to save the order from bankruptcy. They might have placed on the younger members the burden produced by the too low rates of ear lier years, but that would have pre vented the growth of the order." The protesting members were bound to lose if they had won their suit- The order would have gone . into bank ruptcy and. they would have received only a part of the money they had paid. They are no worse off, and are probably better oft, by paying the higher rates, for they make good what would otherwise have been a loss. They have learned what many have learned before them, that life insur ance at a given age costs so much per thousand dollars, varying according to age of the insured and overhead ex pense. The actual cost Increases each year of a person's life until it reaches its maximum In the year of his death. A person's earning power being high est in his youth and lowest in his age. the collection of each year's actual cost In that year would render life in surance Impracticable. The total amount to be paid is therefore dis tributed over the life of a policy. This amount is thus not made prohibitive in either youth or old age. Many fra ternal societies are adjusting their rates to this principle; those which do not will fail unless they change in time. TRAIN MEN FOR FOREIGN TRADE. ' The minds of the American people having been definitely turned to Latin America as a field for the ex pansion of trade, we should set systematically to work to equip our selves for the business. It is not suf ficient to send out salesmen in search of orders. They do not know the field, and, worst of all, they do not know the language of the countries they visit It is not enough to write letters and send circulars in English, for we must follow the example of the London shopkeeper who nuts a sign on his window, "French spoken nere, to attract French custom, and that of the Paris shopkeeper, who says, "English spoken here." We must do business in the language of our customers. It is not even enough to open banks and establish steam ship lines. That the schools may turn out graduates thus equipped, it is de sirable that the Chamber of Com merce co-operate with the Board of Education and with the facultv of the University of Oregon and the Agricultural College in arranging a curriculum to include these sub jects. Oregon has ' no less an op portunity man the Eastern states in this direction. The Oregon manu facturer's home market is restricted by the sparseness of population fn his domestic field, which extends no farther - east than the Rocky Moun tains. He must look abroad, across the sea, in order to expand, and he must have well qualified men for the purpose. "We're lust an Vi ; n T-i a a a Kin. 0v flower that nods and bends in the breezes," sang two little Rose Festival girls as thev danz-ed dnwr. v,a They were dressed like a sunflower iu-Kea nice one, though far pret tier. Watchinsr their hi-lc-hr Ian nno could well believe that "their hearts were as light as the wind that blows hid ieniea rrom orr toe treoses." Mr. Adams has been nn srMtiint City Treasurer. He had nmhiHnns. inherent right of every citizen. That he failed will make him nnnn th lsu a good official.. The Council can do a graceful act in keeping him in , the treasury, and Mr. BIjrelow will innrpB tne esteem in which he is held by many people by moving to. .make it unanimous. A "decent respect for the opinion of mankind" would cause the Georgia Prison Board to grant Leo Frank com mutation of sentence. But it refuses to tto so. Mob power goes farther in that state than we were willine to be lieve. Having committed a colossal blunder, the authorities are resolved at all hazards to perpetuate It. If German and Austrian not to be permitted to wni-L- ir, r-ono dian mines, -they may on the same ground be excluded from other occu pations, xnen me community must feed them and must cav for inrinicwno. its prejudices. These Are bad dav-s for fra real estate men. For snmA ti mo rpv- eral of them will handle real estate with a pick and shovel, and will de velop their arm and shoulder muscles wniie xneir jaw muscles rest King Ludwig of Bavaria has joined the number of belligerents on both sides who are cooking the hare before it is caught. If he tries to eat it, his teeth will bite on nothing but air. OreXOn is now the aolrnnwlorlo-oH chief among horticultural states. We u.1 v a-i a miew it exceiiea, Dut tne rest of the world has only Just discov ered it. The Oreeron Funeral nirstiini a re. here in annual session, but you cannot aistinguisn mem, from other Jovial visitors. If the British Cabinet Ministers choose to divide the salary pie equally, why should they not? It's their pie. Wear a rose. If you haven't one, reach over and pick it off the bush. Portland growers are good-natured. Have the dog in leash when you bring him to town. The visitor who gets tangled will be good-natured. A woman upstate is suing for $35, 450 for loss of a leg. At that, rate but why waste time figuring? Policemen must be gentle with purse-snatchers and pickpockets. Just send them to the hospital. Be generous with applause today. Decorating is hard work, and appre ciation is pleasing. Mr. Drake is doing nicely with the weather. He realizes we are not ducks this week. Every boy and every girl in the parade had the Portland spirit That's the reason. Be sure basement windows and doors are fastened when you go down town. - Do not have empty space in the vehicles. Give a friend a Joyous ride. The man with wheels in his head should decorate them today. Let the clouds roll by. Do not wait , for them. . .. Stars and Starmakers BY LEONE CASS BAKR. JV ARJOR1E MOREL AND, the current 1 1 wife of Nat Goodwin, is ill in Johns Hopkins Hospital at Baltimore. She has been 111 in New York for sev eral weeks. Her illness began with a supposed attack of diphtheria, for which antitoxin was administered. The antitoxin resulted apparently In poison ing her system. Members of the fam ily stated that Mr. Goodwin- was not expected In Baltimore unless his wife's condition should take a turn for the worse. Miss Moreland's mother, Mrs. George W. Parrott, lives in the sub urbs of Baltimore. Every once in a while some one who knew and admired Marlbel Seymour when she was ingenue with the Baker Stock Company, writes to ask for news of her. Well, here's news and good news, and it's authentic, for It's from no less a personage than the lady's husband, John Hogarty. He la man-. ager of the Chauncey Olcott Company and he says his principal occupation while he Is on the Pacific Coast, where his wife used to play, is to call up people she has sent messages to, or answer phone calls from folk who are sending her messages. For Mrs. Hogarty has made only one trip out here since her wedding three years ago. She is a playwright! In her home at Massapequa, Long Island, she writes short stories, scenarios and vaudeville sketches and has Just completed a really pretentious full-grown play, i which Husband Hogarty says Is mighty! clever. Now it remains for only some producer to see It that way, too, and you'll see Marlbel Seymour Hogarty's name as "author of the play" on the programme. . see Speaking of Chauncey Olcott that singer-comedian says that "John Mc Cormack is the finest ballad singer who ever stepped in two shoes." They are close friends these two Emeratd Isle songsters. Mr. McCormack is negoti ating for the purchase of a historic castle and estate near the Vale of Avoca, In County Wicklow. Ireland. Mr. McCormack owns a fine home In Hamp stead Heath. London, but it is closed up until the war-Bhall end. Just now the McCormacks are domi ciled at Tokeneke Park," on the Sound, a short distance from Stamford. Conn, where he proposes to stay until the lat ter part of October. In November he will Join the Chicago Opera Company for a limited number of engagements, after which he will make another ex tensive concert tour. e Hubert Henry Davies, author of "Outcast" In which Elsie Ferguson is starring, returned post haste to his native England last November, the week after his play was first produced in New York. He was desirous of join ing the allies. Word has Just been re ceived that he failed to pass, as a sol dier and is' now serving as an orderly in a hospital in France. Miss Fergu son is on her way to Portland. Here are some facts and "near" facts about Elsie Ferguson: She is one of the few actresses of prominence who was born in New York City. She was educated at a convent In France. She began her stage career as a chorus girl. Before she was 21 she played a lead ing role In a leading theater In Lon don. Her favorite recreation is dancing; yes. Including the modern ones. Her beauty is of the Scottish-American type. She has played in every state in the Union except South Dakota. Her chief ambitions are: First to sing in grand opera, and second, to go around the world. Her real name Is Elsie Louise Fergu son, and her duly registered cable ad dress Is "ELF." Elsie Janls has taken her trusty typewriter in hand and has written what she calls a poem on the sinking of the Lusltania. Beau Broadway in the Morning Telegraph, tells of it in this wise: ( "Elsie as an Imljtator of character acting has no superior and few, so to speak, runners up; but, hav ing read her literary offering, In which, by the bye, I am sad to say she scolds the deity as if he were a stage hand, I am convinced that she Is not, as it were, hep to the poise of that afflatus thing essential to poesy. When Elsie essays the mimicry of-1 well, now, "Vir ginia Harned, she reminds me very much of Virginia Harned; but when she tries to act like, for Instance, Eliza beth Barrett Browning, she reminds me very much of a member of a Browning Society of Philadelphia, which is some thing different again." The first verse of Miss Janls' inquiry follows: Where are you, God, in whom I hare be lieved? Are you in Heaven, or hare I been deceived? I can't believe you sit up there and look down on us all. Seeing the horrors on this earth, seeing brave men fall. In praying to you, art you up there, can you hear me call? Where are you, Ood? One cannot for a moment doubt that the Inspiration of this is a very keen and poignant sorrow over the loss of friends, and It may be further said in its favor that It maintains the stand ard of war poetry to date that is to say. it makes no ripple on the dead level of mediocrity that a world cataclysm has failed to quicken. To that extent Miss Janls may consider herBelf a con temporary of Kipling, Watson and the rest That's all. The Portland Rose. To every clime and nation East to west it goes. The one flower in creation The rose that Portland grows. We know It from our childhood; It follows to old age; Its eminence has always stood The top of every page. At wedding, birth or christening In church and hall or home. Its petals sweet and glistening Have remembrance where we roam, at paints the city sidewalk In white and red and pinic And lifts its head as though to talk And find out what we think. It clambers round the house side. It stills our small alarms, Such beauty none can ever hide Or cover up Its charms. And so in all the galaxy Of every flower which grows The first and best must always be Our dear old Portland rose. O. L. G. THOMAS. Taft'a StocK Goes I'p. Kansas City Journal. Mr. Taft was a grood president In most respects, but he has acquitted himself so handsomely since retiring that his popularity has gone up 50 per cent HR. MAI.XHI l -ArOLOGl'" HOLDS "Birth Control" Agitation Prompts Question From Another Angle. PORTLAND. June 8. (To the Ed itor.) Mr. UthoH's reply to Mr. Wag non provokes a few questions in the mind of the writer. In his advocacy of "birth control" why does he not franftly admit that it is not' birth con trol per se, that is desired, but birth control with unlimited sex gratifica tion? This is not a criticism merely a question. Nature provides a perfect birth control which does not need to be stated. But there Is still another natural law which would regulate births to the decided advantage of society that is ignored entirely in our code of stat utes. It is that there should be no unwilling mothers; that all women who love and desire children should have them. Our marriage laws exclude many true mothers from being faith ful to the strongest impulse within them, while at the same time It forces children on shrinking, loathing, hating women, because we have made mar riage synonymous with motherhood. Again, this is not a criticism merely a. statement of fact The honorable Mr. Malthus, In an idle hour, provided a standing apology for those who habitually ate more than was good for them by depriving others of what they needed. They paid the penalty, usually by dying of gout or apoplexy or some other mala dies that don't look as nice as these in print Mr. Malthus' apology is still on the Job. It needs but one thing to make it a perfectly good apology, that is, proof that at any time, past or present the capacity of the earth to feed its population has been ex ceeded, or even approached. Mr. Uthoft loftily declines to supply this proof, contenting himself with the as sumption that it has. Even here in the productive State of Oregon people all the time go hungry. At the Same time food by the ton rots, goes to waste, because we have not yet learned how to distribute food for use and not for the profit of a few individuals. It is the conviction of the writer thai the producing capacity of the earth has not been reached by many degrees, and since Mr. Uthoft offers no proof to the contrary- e. B. TORRENS LAW HOW IT APPLIES Act Not Mandatory In Oregon, but It la Used In Portland. PORTLAND, June 6. (To the Ed-,tor- Did The Oregonian at any time publish what is called the Torrens act or Torrens law regarding transferring title of property. The Torrens act or Torrens law, I think, is what is called a registered title to property trans ferred, but T H f .. . .1 " a.va, juoc UllUClSiailU what the Torrens act or law is. Will you please publish In your paper what the law is? I find that some of the business men here Im Portland do not Know or ana some have never heard of the Torrens act which Is the law In many states, including Oregon, in trans ferring title to property. , A SUBSCRIBER. 735 Yale street. The Torrens law. wherever it has Deen adopted. Drovldoa ry . ..inon oi aeeas of title at the county recording office. Under thl law a man buys property, he takes his deed l" "lu recording office, where it is filed and kept. The deed is flv.n . ber and a certificate is issued to cover ic nerearter. the officers will not recora any paper affecting that prop erty - unless the certificate accom panies it. The Torrens law, which is named a.iier tne man who fathered It, is op tional rather tha state. -It is in force in many states ana is the law in. Australia. New Zea land and British Columbia. It is ii force in certain Oreicon Iniiiip. ever, in Alameda Park Addition to Portland, for instance. Whrn h crs of a particular district wish to have their properties governed by the xurrens aaw tney must make applica tion to the County Court and have the title examined first FACTIOXISTS 1VOT -.'VATIOaVAI.ISTS." Critics) of Knicliali Adminiatratloa Not ifriarll- Redmosd's Followers. PORTLAND. June 8. (To the Edi tor.) The news dispatches carried a story June 3, that two or three "Na tionalists" heckled the government on the , floor of the House of Commons in the matter ot the composition of the new war cabinet and made some reflections on the sincerity of Premier Asquith's attitude on home rule. These critics may call themselves "Nationalists," but they are not af filiated with the Irish party led by John Redmond. One of them, Lau rence Ginnell, is the clown of the house, if not at times a positive nuisance. He is recognized as a crank and a party of one composed of Ginnell. Another, William O'Brien, is the leader of a verv small faction dubbed the "O'Brienites," who have for several years past opposed the prin ciples of the Irish party led by Red mond, Dillon, Devlin and O'Connor. These factionists should not be con fused with the "Nationalists," a name invariably used in reference to the Irish party of which Redmond is the leader and spokesman. BARRY F. MURPHY. Portland Rosen. Portland roses from the earth Lifting up a smiling face To the sun that gave them birth. In their chosen dwelling place. "Portland roses everywhere," Lily white, and rainbow hue. Giving fragrance to the air. Gathering crystals from the dew. Portland roses, full of cheer. Breathing from the sunshine ray. Bringing light of heaven here. Gently pointing to the way. Portland roses, flower queen. Sweetest bloom of Summertime, All the year they may be seen. Blooming in the balmy clime. Portland roses, let me dwell -'Mid the beauty where they grow, By the river's mystic swell. And the mountain peaks of snow. Portland roses, dear to me. Let me hold them in my hand. Let me press my lips to thee. Dearest flower of the land. FELIX O'NEILL. THB SOXO OF" THE HEART Could you but hear the song of my heart. And feel its vibrant melody. Yon, too would Join and sing your part. Thus making perfect harmony. Canst hear my soul's viol-like tones Crying out some tragedy? Your harp alone can still those moans. And change it to a rhapsodie! Come, strike the chords to love's pre lude. Those chords so full of euphony; And then the song we'll both conclude. Our hearts In happy symphony. ANNA GOLDEN. Walt Whitman's Reference. , GRANTS PASS. Or., June 6. (To the Editor.) Will you kindly tell me through your columns, to whose death Walt Whitman had reference in his poem, "O Captain, My Captain." M. C. D. He bad reference to Lincoln. Twenty-Five Years Ago (From The Oregonian June 10. 1S90.) St Louis. Eight were killed and 25 injured in a smashup on the Wabash Railroad. 61 miles west of herP, last night. Two engines and 18 freight cars were piled up in a frightful heap. The scenes were awful. Senator Mitchell has secured the es tablishment of a postofflce In Mult nomah County, Oregon, in the canyon near Portland. It is called Sylvan, and Charmotta Chrince was appointed postmaster. x Spokane Falls, Wash. Colonel H. E. Allen has perfected arrangements for a 1 1-5 fare for the Sons of Veterans' encampment at North Yakima. June 12 to 14. London. Prince Bismarck again is quoted by the newspapers. This time ne says he thinks the masses are be ing educated too much in the wronsr directions. He believes there are ten times as many Deoole educated for the higher walks of life as there are places to fill. Paris. Toung Hugo, the grandson of the great novelist, it Is said, is actinir disgracefully," getting into episodes with several riotous young scamps. A little son of Mr. Howard, who lives near Elgin, Union County, strayed from home the other night and was not found until morning. He had strayed up the mountainside. The Tillamook Headlleht says the barbers in Tillamook have raised the price of shaving Republicans on ac count of the extreme length of their faces. The Democratic face is so broad with smiles that they come un der the same category, but mugwumps can get a shave for nothing. The grand chapter of Royal Arch Masons met in Masonic Temple yes terday, Grand High Priest Donald Mackay presiding. Seth L. Pope, of Portland, was elected grand high priest at the annual business session. J. W. Blakey, manager of the Arling ton Club, while out riding with a lady friend about 8 o'clock last night, had a fortunate escape from possible In jury or death. The horse became frightened at an electric motor and upset the buggy, precipitating Mr. Blakey and his companion to the street. Neither was badly hurt Hilf a Century Ago From The Oregonian June 10, 1865. New York General Howard, Commis sioner of the Freedmen's Bureau, has issued orders announcing that disloyal proprietors of abandoned plantations in the South, now being cultivated by freedmen, will not be allowed to dis possess the latter, which they are in some states making efforts to do at least not until the growing crops are secured for the benefit of the present cultivators. . Washington It is ordered that in all cases of sentence by military tribunals, of imprisonment during the war. the sentences are to be remitted and the prisoners discharged. The Copperhead papers are quoting approvingly the sentiments of Gerrlt Smith, Greeley and others who oppose the capital punishment of Jeff. Davis and his fellow workers in treason. The Copperheads do not want these rebels punished for the reason they have a friendly sympathy for them, while Greeley and others of like opinion are opposed to capital punishment and would treat them with leniency on that account The motives of the two classes of men are altogether at variance. B. W. Jenkins, of Canyon City, and Miss E. G. Crow, of Eugene City, were married at Vancouver, June C, by Jus tice J. F. Smith. Twenty-three states have ratified the constitutional amendment abolishing slavery. After Oregon and California ratify, only one more state will be re quired to give the number necessary to make the amendment a part of our fundamental law. The People's Transportation Company has declared the first dividend, 10 per cent. It is now payable at the office of the company. The company has been in operation three years. Ml'RDERING THE KING'S F.XGLISH Observer Lflmeiit! CareleM-incMS in Oar K vcrj day Talk. PORTLAND, June 8. (To the Ed itor.) Why murder the King's Eng lish? This Is the question we ask of those who claim to have received their education in the grammar school and even the high school. Our language is not as musical ns that of our near neighbor, Mexico, but do we make it any more acceptable by despoiling It with the use of slang and grammatical errors? The president of a college in Cleveland, Ohio, said to his students. "You must not use no much slang. You must cut it out." And again a teacher in speaking of the use of prepositions said, "A preposition is not a proper word to end a sentence with." We would say to such instructors, "Physi cian, heal thyself." Some of the expressions which create a tension on a person's nerves are "have saw," "1 seen," "James he." "Mary she," "Has 'the mail came?" "I've got it." "Are you goin'?" "He was runnin'," "I node it," "1 was so tickled I thought I'd die," "I hain't got it," "I hain't had no good time nohow," "Seeln' you're goin'," "Yessum," "Nome." I think the old admonition might ap ply: "Think twice before 'you speak." It is not that many people do not know better, but they have drifted into such a way of speaking that we might infer they had neyer seen the inside of a schoolroom and picked up what they knew of the English language from the mountaineers of the Cumberlands. We can watch our words and be our own instructors if we will. Cease to murder the King's English. OBSERVER. Of course, it Is almost needless to say in defense of the professors, whose words are above quoted, that the violations of the rules they fostered were for effect as an example, and not Instances of carelessness. The quo tations are now matters of record. Taking lVo Chances. Buffalo (N. Y.) Express. "Has your son any technical train ing, Mrs. Nurich?" "I should say not! No frills for us. We sent him to an engineering srhool." Summer Music Have you planned' your music for this Summer? Have you chosen the Instrument that is to help pass so many pleas ant evenings? Genius has unlocked the store of melody with many keys. Entertainment courtesies in a score of different garbs. Perhaps you want help in choos ing. Want to know the right store to turn to? The advertising in The Oregonian may help youl