8
THE MORNING OREGOXIAX. .TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1915.
xmmtmt
PORTLAND, OREGON.
Entered at Portland, Oregon, Postofflce as
. Bccono-ciaBs matter.
Subscription Kates Invariably la advance.
(By Mall.)
Tally, Sunday Included, one year. . . . . . .SS.00
ajly. Sunday Included, six months.... 4.25
2ally, Sunday Included, three months. . 2.25
Jjany, bunday included, one month
Dally, without Sunday, one year 6.00
Ially, without Sunday, six months 3.20
Dally, without Sunday, three months... 1.70
"Dally, without Sunday, one month 60
"Weekly, one year .00
' tbunday, one year 2.50
. Sunday and Weekly, one year 3.30
' (By Carrier.)
"pally, Sunday Included, one year...... 9.00
OJauy, bunday Included, one month....
i How to Kemit Send postofflce money or-
, uci, cpicso uruir or personal cnecK on your
. local bank. Stamps, coin or currency are at
i .sender's risk. Give postofflce address in
- lull, including county and state.
' Postage Itatr 12 to Its pases, 1 cent; IS
; To 32 pages, cents; 84 to 4s pages, 8 cents;
, fiO to t0 pages. 4 cents; 52 to 7u pages. 5
, cents; 7S to 02 pages, 0 cents. X-'oreign
4 jjomage aoublo rates.
' Eastern RiiKlneH Office Vtrrrt rnnt
'lin, Brunsv.ick building. New York; Verree
& C'oriKIln, steger building, Chicago; San
ranclsco representative. H. J. Bidwell. 12
i piarKei street.
tOBTLAXD, TUESDAY, SEPT. 81.' 1915,
, TWO WATS TO SEEK THE SAME END.
T ' The same end Is sought by the two
; opposing parties in the waterpower
: conference which meets in Portland
"today namely: development of wa
iter power as quickly as the public
needs require and its sale as cheaply
las governing conditions permit. The
difference of opinion is as to methbd.
. Advocates of the Ferris bill maintain
;that the policy of leasing power sites
toy the Federal Government and of
control over that development by the
.'Government is the only method to
which Congress will consent and
Which will safeguard public interest
and that, therefore, its rejection
oiieans continuance of the present
blockade. Opponents of that meas
ure maintain that it invades the sov
ereignty of the states, prescribes con
ditions which will prove unworkable,
and conflicts iwith state laws already
In full operation. They therefore de
clare that the bill will not attract
capital or stimulate development and
will cause continuance of the present
deadlock while the constitutional and
legal questions involved are being
fought out In the courts.
' : The Ferris bill assumes that Gov
ernment ownership of public land car
ries with it the sovereign power to
direct the conduct, not as tenants or
purchasers, but as citizens, of those
whom the Government may permit to
occupy that land. While not denying
the states' ownership and sovereignty
over the water, the bill assumes that,
because use of the land is necessary to
development of water power, the Gov
ernment has the right to lay down
the conditions under which that devel
opment shall be made. It follows up
this assumption by fixing tha term
ilurlng which any corporation may use
the water in conjunction with the
land, a term which conflicts with the
term already fixed by some of the
states, Oregon among them, during
which the water may be used.
. It imposes upon the Government's
land a charge based upon the volume
of power developed by the state's
.water, a charge which partakes of
. the nature of a tax rather than of
rent. This tax is not to be uniform
upon all the industries of all the
states, nor even upon the entire water
power industry of all the states, nor
upon that of some of the states. It is
to .be imposed only on those water
powers . which use . Government land.
It Is to vary not according to the
amount and value of such land as is
used,- bnt in the discretion of an offi
cial who will change every four j-ears,
perhaps oftener. The tax may be dif
ferent' on two neighboring streams,
power from which serves neighboring
communities. There may be like va
riations in other terms of the pro
posed leases, subject only to certain
treneral rules laid down in the bill
and to such additional rules as the
official may lay down, but which he
and his successors would be free to
change.
The Ferris bill legislates concerning
many things in regard to which the
states have already legislated. These
state laws are in operation and they
conflict at many points with the Fer
ris bill. The latter measure forbids a
p'ower company to sell more than 50
per cent of its product to one con
sumer without consent of the Secre
tary of the Interior; the state utility
commission may order it to sell 100
per cent to one consumer.
-The bill forbids sale to distributing
companies; states permit and even en
courage such sale. It forbids combi
nation between companies, permits
coupling up of plants only for limited
periods with the Secretary's consent,
and generally favors competition;
v some states permit coupling of plants
and forbid new companies to enter a
field which is already occupied by a
company giving good service at rea
sonable rates under public regulation.
The bill gives the Secretary author
ity to supervise issue of securities by
power companies; that authority is
already exercised by the states. The
bill requires continuous use of water
io, generate hydro-electric power;
state laws give domestic use and irri
gation priority . over power and au
thorize utility commissions to divert
water from an inferior to a superior
use. Thus a. company by obeying the
state might forfeit its lease, while for
obeying the Government it might be
deprived of water.
Opponents of the Ferris bill main
tain that it is founded on a series of
false assumptions. It assumes that
ownership of land gives sovereignty to
the Government and permits legisla
tion as to matters In the- West over
which Eastern and Southern states
have full and undisputed control. It
assumes that the Government is free
to hold publlo land indefinitely and
never to part with title. As to the
former point the courts - have held
uniformly that, in its relation to pub
lic land, the Government is in the
same position as any other land
owner, but subject to the implied un
derstanding that the land is to be
"disposed of." To lease land is not to
"dispose" of It. If the leasing system
were definitely established, from 35 to
93 per cent of the area of the eleven
Western waterpower states might be
permanently withheld from state tax
ation, although the states would be
required to carry the full burden of
government over those vast areas. The
West contends that this conversion of
the United States into a permanent
landlord would be a violation of the
terms under which the states were-ad-mltted
to the Union and would hold
them in the position of provinces
rather than that of sovereign states.
Sponsors of the Ferris bill assume
that by it Congress only attempts to
occupy a twilight tone of Jurisdiction
between that of the Nation and that
fit the state. Its opponents say there
is no such twilight zone. The au
thority after which Congress grasps
is not delegated to it by the Constitu
tion and by repeated judicial decisions
has been declared to be reserved to
the states. This zone is already fully
occupied by thirty-two of the forty
eight states, , and the thirty-two in
clude nearly all of the Western states.
Intrusion of 'the Government into this
zone can result only in a conflict of
'authority, a blockade of development
ana a Doom in litigation.
In an attempt to quiet opposition,
the authors of the Ferris bill have in
serted clauses recognizing the states'
ownership and control over water and
the states' regulative power over in
trastate business and declaring that
nothing shall be done in contraven
tion of those rights. The event is
likely to prove that those are the only
sections of the bill which will stand
fire in the courts.
An excuse for this proposed usurpa
tion is that the states have improvi-
dently managed, their affairs and need
a sort of Federal guardianship. As to
the great majority, they are conduct
ing their own affairs much better
than the United States could do it for
them. Even if they were not, the
Government has no constitutional au
thority to step in as guardian. Any
states which mismanage their internal
affairs must pay the penalty until they
learn wisdom. That is a right which
President Wilson concedes to the
Mexicans.
It has been charged that opposition
to the Ferris bill springs from the
waterpower trust, and that the West
ern states are so dominated by. that
trust that Federal authority alone can
save them from it and can prevent it
from becoming omnipotent. We have
discovered no evidence that a water-
power trust exists; if it does, the Gov.
eminent -has full authority to dissolve
it under the anti-trust laws.
The "charge of trust domination may
arise from the fact that the Western
states and the waterpower interests
alike oppose the Ferris bill. There is
a perfectly natural and innocent ex
planation of that fact. The states de
sire to see water power developed; so
do the power interests. The states
have in most cases provided for regu
lation of power companies; the com
panies have adapted themselves to
that regulation and accept it, but ob
ject to double regulation under the
changing rules of a -changing official
2000 or 3000 miles from the scene of
action, who would in practice delegate
his authority to subordinates. The
states oppose the Ferris bill because
it invades their sovereignty, ties up
their resources and places them in
perpetual tutelage. The power inter
ests oppose that bill because they be
lieve its provisions to be unworkable,
fruitful of conflict and litigation and
obstructive to development. The states
resent an attempt to superpose Fed
eral regulation over state regulation.
Of the many representatives of the
power interests who testified before
the Senate committee, every one ex
pressed ready acceptance of state reg
ulation of intrastate business and
Federal regulation of interstate busi
ness. They welcome regulation, for
they realize its benefits.
These are the main points of con
flict between two alternative methods
for attaining the same end which the
waterpower conference .will consider.
If the Western states should run
counter to Secretary Lane, it wili not
be because .they doubt the excellence
of his intentions, but because they
deny that the method he has adopted
will accomplish the end they, in com
mon with him, seek.
KIND WORDS EKOM MB. THAW.
The tribute Mr. Harry Thaw pays to
the workings of the Oregon system,
and particularly to the recall of
judges, ought to make everybody in
the state the friend for life of the
slayer of Stanford White. No one can
doubt longer the genuine virtues of
the system.
If New York had had the recall of
judges a few years ago. It is easy to
see what would have happened. The
judge who"Bent Thaw to Matteawan,
which is an insane asylum, would have
been threatened with the recall and
would have indeed, through the power
of the Thaw money, liberally applied.
been made the subject of recall peti
tions and the victim of a recall elec
tion. It is pleasant to think that the
people of New York would thus have
been able to settle the question of
Thaw's guilt or innocence by popular
vote. What higher form of the ex
pression of a perfect Justice could be
devised?
Assuredly the people of Oregon 'are
obliged to Mr. Thaw. They were
made a little uncomfortable recently,
during the visit of ex-President Taft,
by the sharp drives of that statesman
against their prized system; but now
the scales are more than balanced. Mr.
Thaw has- performed Oregon an in
valuable service.
GOOD FROM TWO STANDPOINTS.
The proposal of Adjutant-General
White to organize and train a cadet
company in each of the four Portland
high schools affords an opportunity to
young men to do something for them
selves and for their country at the
same time. The elementary military
training" they would receive would be
of Inestimable value to them in civil
life. It would deyelop and improve
their physique and teach them the
proper care of their bodies. It would
also make their minds alert and in
spire discipline and the habit of
obedience to officers a habit which
would render them good citizens, ob
servers and upholders of the law. It
would teach them how to handle fire
arms, and hence how to protect them,
selves and their families; also how to
live in camp and in placeswhere they
would be deprived of the resources of
civilization. All these acquirements
would make them more desirable as
employes, so that service in the cadets
would be in itself a strong recommen
dation and would constitute a large
part of the foundation for success in
civil life.
But of course the main purpose of
the training is to equip students for
their part in defending their country
against a foreign enemy. There is no
taint of militarism in the plan, for
militarism aims to take by force that
which belongs to other nations, while
the purpose of military training in the
United States is to prevent other na
tions from taking by force that which
belongs to this Nation or its citizens
whether sovereignty over our territory
or the lives, liberty or property of our
people. -
In spirit and purpose the plan is the
same as that of a man who buys a
revolver, learns its use and keeps it
in his house ready to drive away ma
rauders or those who assail his family.
Our country is our house, and a good
citizen will be as ready to defend It as
a good husband and father will be to
defend his house and his family. That
is all there is to patriotism and the
movement for National preparedness.
The plan is closely akin to that
which has long been in vogue in
Switzerland and which has kept that
country out of war while- war rages
all around it. A like plan has been
adopted" in Australia and has proved
so . beneficial to the physique and
character of the young citizens and so
efficient in enabling that dominion to
do its part in the present war that
Australians who formerly opposed it
now say they would not be without it.
Let those who fear that military
training of the youth will inspire them
with militarism remember that mili
tarism consists not In the training
Itself but in the spirit and purpose
with which it is undertaken. Such
training is practiced among the most
peaceful as well as the most militant
nations. The United States, as a
peaceful nation, should practice it for
the same reasons as prompt other na
tions of like disposition.
WHAT OF THE ROLL. CALLT
The work of our public school
guardians against the Invasion of the
military spirit of course must not stop
with a prohibition of the pupils'
marching in and out of the building.
Calling of the roll should cease in
stantly. It is done in the Army. Other
things have been made equally wicked
by military appropriation living in
tents and carrying things across one's
shoulder, for examples. Boys should
be taught how to carry ballbats in a
way that will not arouse their blood
lust and should be cautioned to avoid
any back yard where a playmate has
erected an old blanket on cross sticks.
As a matter of fact, the inhibition
of marching as the sole precaution
against growth of the military spirit
looks like a sort of dig at youthful
intelligence. The boy who does not
know what the real function of sol
diering is and that marching has no
more to do with it than eating, ought
not to be attending the public schools,
but an institute for the feeble-minded.
We would not expect a rule against
marching to make mollycoddles of the
boys, unless it was impressed upon
them repeatedly that that was its pur
pose. Keeping step with others does
not turn the mind of a healthy boy to
militarism from thoughts of baseball,
the swimming pool, old Jones' orchard
or the more repellant anticipations of
chores or study.'
In other werds, marching in order
to get from one place to another in an
orderly manner does not have the
slightest permanent influence on a
child's mind and its omission will
therefore not affect the trend of his
character. We are somewhat uneasy,
however, about entrusting the youth
of Portland to the immediate influence
of adults who have so little common
sense as to think it will.
TREND OF FOREIGN TRADE.
Study of our exports and imports
shows that other nations are increas
ing both purchases and sales of crude
materials for manufacture, but are too
busy otherwise to make foodstuffs or
other manufactures ready for con
sumption. Our imports of materials
for manufacture began to Increase
materially in July, though the seven
months ending-with July show a de
crease, but our exports of such mate
rial show a like increase for both
periods;
We bought less food, both crude and
manufactured, but we sold vastly more
in both forms in the same months
than in the like period of 1914,
though July showed a. decrease in ex
ports of crude foodstuffs. This was
probably duo to the disturbed condi
tion of the exchange market Just
when the new grain-shipping season
opened.
As to manufactures, imports of
goods for further use in manufacture
are gradually recovering, the decrease
for July being much less in proportion
than that for the seven months, but
finished manufactures come in de
creasing quantities. Exports of both
classes of manufactures continue to
grow In monthly increasing ratio and
at the present pace next year may
double the totals -for 1914. This de
mand for this class of commodities is
the real source of the boom in Eastern
industries.
THE DREAMS OF GENII'S.
It has been some weeks since our
immortal inventive geniuses wero set
to the tasks of - providing a new and
simple means of National defense.
The idea of thus outwitting the pon
derous devices of Mars originated
with the genial naval humorist, Secre
tary. Daniels. Necessarily Secretary
Daniels had no particular line of in
ventive procedure in mind and that
was left to the matchless ingenuity of
Drains mat una tne solving of such
profound problems daily amusement.
It was suggested that perhaps some
means of sinking vessels by electrical
waves from hidden shore batteries
could be devised. However, that was
a mere suggestion. The inventors
might perfect a means of sinking war
ships by wireless if they saw fit. Any
thing was satisfactory to Mr. Daniels,
seemingly, except a larger and more
adequate Navy.
So far, the method of protecting
our shores through the medium of our
inventive genius has not been perfect
ed, but while we are waiting for the
solution of this trifling problem it
might be well to review the result of
similar activity in Europe, where Sec
retary Daniels' idea appears to have
occurred in several thousand minds of
similar trend.
A Petrograd correspondent of the
Philadelphia Ledger notes that the
Russian War Ministry had several
highly developed plans submitted for
establishing Russian supremacy over
the Kaiser's hosts. In fact, the total
number of plans during the year was
17,000. All but 100 of these ideas, it
is recorded, were clouded by the heavy
odor of mandragora, while all of the
practicable 100 were rusted by the
mists of antiquity. Russian inventive
patriots were invited to desist. The
Ministry had real business at hand.
What Russia needed was men and
guns, not idle dreams.
It is not strange that among the
17,000 assorted plans was at least
one that contemplated eliminating
the enemy by electrical waves. It is
noted that one plausible genius named
Voyevitch inveigled the military au
thorities 'to a demonstration of his
device for annihilating Germany, Aus
tria and Turkey with, artificial light
ning flashes. . Of course his. contriv
ance didn't work and the failure dis
gusted the observers, including Voye
vltch's wife, who promptly left him.
Doubtless he has since directed his
inventive skill to providing mechan
ical means of performing household
duties.
In Germany the inventors and
cranks are equally busy. - Some of
them are rendering valuable assist
ance, but they are the practical men
who concern themselves with subma
rines, flying machines, big shells and
high explosives. The only real inno
vation that has come from them has
to do with chemical processes for gen
erating poisonous gases. A corre
spondent describes some of the more
"ambitious plans which provide for
a little of everything from drowning
out hostile nations to changing the
lawsjf Nature in Germany's behalf.
A Hungarian genius is going to put
a quick end to the allies when he per
fects a few minor details of his pet
idea. He has discovered a method of
altering climate. When his completed
formula Is put to work it will reduce
the temperature to a point at which a
polar bear would promptly stiffen and
die. A cold reception is in store for
the allies when this creative mind gets
nis plan in operation.
Another one, named Akkermann,
has a plan that will render his home
town of Munich immortal. The model
Is already complete. It provides a
huge tunneling machine which moves
under armies at the rate of five miles
a day, thus paving the way for Ger
man divisions to spring up in the rear
of their foes. If this subterranean
monster does not end the war the gun
of another German genius named
Meinlcke will surely do it. This gun
will throw shells an incredible number
of miles and has a trajectory . calcu
lated to threaten the solar system.
Still another one is perfecting a sys
tem of magnets that will dispose of
the allied navies by drawing tiriem out
Into the zone of submarine activity.
Another one had a fine idea for flood
ing half of Poland by making use of
the Vistula, but the doughty German
army ran the Russians out of that
territory before this budding genius
could make his name immortal.
Meanwhile British genius appears
to be confined to literary and lingual
activities applied to the field of coax
ing recruits Into the ranks and ex.
plaining why these recruits don't do
something after they are trained.
Frenchmen, for their part, seemingly
are too busy conducting the major
portion of the allied fighting to waste
time and energy chasing inventive
will-o -the-wisps.
One newspaper which from the first
had condemned the late land confer
ence to failure now remarks:
The gentlemen who controlled the con
ference manifested no concern in such
trivial things as irreducible school funds.
reclamation ond good roads. They had
higher thoughts, such, for Instance, as the
pecuniary wenare oi tne railroad ina pos
sible fine picking for timber syndicates
and forest barons.
The fact that the conference called
upon Congress to enforce the terms of
the original grant the policy the rail,
road refused to follow for many years
and. now vehemently and defiantly op
poses is conveniently Ignored by this
paper. But its twin railroad-baiter
does a little better. Says this other
newspaper: -
Primarily It was planned to handle the
conference for the railroads. The plan was
partially defeated.
The difficulties of newspapers which
deliberately set out to falsify the facts
about a public body or a public oc
currence are not decreased when the
thing they said was to happen does
not happen.
When the Czar calls out his 8,000,
000 territorial reserves he will prob
abjy arm them with about 8000 rifles
and about two cartridges apiece. Their
chief use will be to get in the way and
compel the Germans to burn up am
munition. Mr. Bryan's 1,000,000 men
who would "spring to arms" between
sunrise and sunset would have about
as many arms and would be of as
little use.
The unprecedented demand
for
"chickenfeed" during the last of
met was coincident with the
consumption of ice cream cones.
Sum
great The
statement is made on authority
that
four
the product of one cow In thirty
goes. Into the manufacture of th
e de-
lectable confection.
It is all very well for Dr. Hlnson to
advise women to marry real men, but
sometimes it is not easy, from surface
indications, to distinguish the imita
tion from the genuine. Then, too, the
real men may turn the tables and
wish to assure themselves of marrying
real women.
Germany and Britain each serenade
Bulgaria with the song: "I need thee,
oh! I need thee," and the callous
maiden refuses to throw herself away
on either of them.
The dollar will go farther here
Thursday than it has since George
Washington made the historic throw
across the famous gulch in Virginia.
If Dr. Hillis' congregation is made
of the right stuff it will hold him in
higher esteem after his confession of
blighted ambition than before.
San Francisco saw no bad luck In
the 13,000,000 attendance at the fair.
If there were, it would soon be elimi
nated by further hosts. .
It was entirely in his line for the
powderman at Tacoma who would
commit suicide to blow off his head
with dynamite.
Is President Wilson promoting an
other revolution In Mexico for the
purpose of eliminating the flamboy
ant Carranza?
Remembering Von Hindenburgs
Tannenberg trap, the Russians grow
wary and are not easily caught again.
All the U boats will be keen to see
that new British superdreadnought
Barham just going into commission.
The big leagues might as well ac
cept the Federals challenge and add
to the money pile.
Standard Oil having looked after
our lights, now desires to attend to
our livers.
Dr. Hillis is like other men, only
more prominent, who play the game.
The more Dr. Dumba explains, the
more he spatters himself with ink.
Vesuvius, Aetna and Stromboll are
suggesting to Italy to do something.
A. half-million more Russian pris
oners will not bother Germany. ,
Tlje United States can take a mort
gage on the earth, if need be.
Dumba will sail in a week, never to
return.
European War Primer
By National Geographical Society.
Central Russia, which lies just before
the advancing German lines, was the
cradle of the Empire, the seat of the
Great Russians, and it Is today the
heart of the greatest state where are
the largest cities of the Slavs and the
historic places dearest to the patriots
devoted to pan-Slavism. Notwith
standing Kiefs claim to recognition as
the 'mother of Russian cities,' it Is to
the story "of the sturdy Great Russian
stock that one must turn to learn the
details of the Empire's building. The
Muscovite, or-Great Russian, freed the
land from the Tartar yoke; subdued
many neighboring nations; and, as a
good colonizer, peopled the length and
breadth of his possessions with his
stock.
Russian history, from the 14th cen
tury, centers around "white-stoned"
Moscow, and from this center succes
sive swarms of colonists and pioneers
have Bought homes in the northern
forests, in the fertile southlands, and
in far Siberia. Prolific, persevering,
with astounding reserves of recupera
tive power, the Muscovites have im
pressed their government, their faith,
their language, and they, lone of the
Slavonians, have created an enduring
world power. Today the Great Russians
number far more than the White and
Little Russians combined, and the
Muscovite pioneer carries Great Rus
sia with him wherever he goes. The
original of the Great Russian Is found
In the basin, of the River Oka, which
Joins the Volga at Nishni Novogorod.
Here is the most developed and most
populous district In all the Empire.
Central Russia Is a vast plain, op
pressive In its horizons, its sameness of
coloring, and in the monotony of its
life. It Is crossed by great, sluggish
rivers, with red banks. Its fields reach
to the horizon lines, unfenced, vivid
green in Spring, greyish-brown in
Summer, and unbroken white in Winter.
Its forests are of birch and pine. Its
villages are all alike, and all the
houses in a village are alike. A village
is a straight, abominable street, two
rows of houses, a white orthodox
church, and a signpost with the name
of the place and its number of "souls."
In the street are pigs, geese, garbage
and fair-haired children. The huts are
simple, and are filled to one-fourth
their area by monster white stoves, the
first aids to Russian life, in whose
ovens the peasants bake and take
steam baths, and upon whose upper
surface they sleep in Winter.
Although an important manufacture
has grown up in Central Russian cities,
as in Moscow and Tver, the Great Rus
sians are still primarily an agricultural
people. The first choice of the Slav
Is the working of land. In Summer, he
and his family work barefoot in the
fields; In Winter, he banks his hut
with earth and straw halfway to the
windows, hermetically seals it. and
passes an idle, suffocating season in
company with his stove, his cattle and
his fowl. There is little wonder that
his homA l irAnA..n . . .
The peasants are capable of tremendous
'6'' "'""5", as a rule, they do
not over-rate time's value. They have
many delightful virtues, but coupled
"if- ar,ave tendncy to be dishonest.
--' (ili.ui uiii to a
candid and reckless proverb of their
V " "i ""l" nrist and he would
lr nis hands were not nailed to the
cross. In this connection It is only
if s7,l0te that tho Peasa"t regards
It almost as a righteous thins to
"convey" from the state or from an
owner of the upper classes.
7-h Jeasants Possess an infinite ap-
receiving, though thankful
ness Is not a i ...
Tl,,v " ""& aiming mem.
It7a? e.?t' hospitable and
h-j ViT '"-'-'liJ. ana, on the other
hand, they am hnw. .i. - V .
ir. trUth "d improvide"!
fiuvem; "neat your wife
like your fur k v. r. lle
f1'' "0-v.r-. Grekl hy0me
Probably: than in T andle
clvriitfcfn"3""''111 the'r "s'emo?
civilisation. When not drunk the
tion of vodka, he of Un-an. in TiV
ful passions, becoming elemental and
dangerous It is upon these peasants
must fall. the fatherland
RACE OP WEAKLINGS OCR. KATE
School. o Turn Ost Mollycoddle- If
Pmc nk.j Prevail.
tor??RTLAN1?', Sept" 20 To the Edi
tor.) An article in The Oregonian stat
ng that a Miss I)e Graff. Principal or
the Kenton Public School, Ll3 elim
inated the practice of children march
ing in and out of her school owing to
mm. WHt"!JhCr Part of Inculcating
militaristic Ideas into the minds of her
pupils should arouse the -ndigatlon of
every true American.
Ti!,en tenchcr 'n our public schools
of their own volition assume so far as
to force their individual opinions on
the plastic minds committed to their
care it Is time that the School Board,
to whom is Intrusted the guardianship
of our children, remove such misfits
from the positions thev hoM
A natural sequence in the perverted
mind of this self-appointed seeker for
"peace at any price" would be, and
doubtless will, if not restrained, to bar
and abolish the use of the American
flag as an emblem in our schools be
cause it has waved triumphantly over
so many victorious battlefields in the
past. The man or the nation hn win
not fight for their rights is nothing
uui a supine, oiooaiess jellyfish, fit
only to be trampled under the feet of
all In contempt and derision.
We want our children, first and fore
most, to be men and women. To tell a
boy that, right or wrong, his country
should not go to war; that If slapped
he should turn the other cheek to the
aggressor; that non-resistance Is al
ways correct, is to build up a race of
cowards, perverts Rnd weaklings.
Our ancestors left England to avoid
religious persecution, but the trials
and troubles in New England made
men of them, and we should not ruin
that manhood now by allowing the per
verted and vicious vagaries of some
eccentric woman to corrupt them In
their youth.
Idiotic and destructive ideas like this
of Miss Pe Graff should be proselyted
in private, not in public. Humanity
and human nature are as they were
countless generations ago. Deliver us
from the reforms of reformers, the
legislation of legislators, and let us.
once for all, admit that forms and laws
cannot change mankinc, and but tend
to make hypocrites of s all.
GAY LOMBARD.
REVERIES."
When twilight brings its hours.
Of memories sweet and sad
Of days of love and flowers;
Of Joys forever dead.
Tls then our hearts do quiver.
With pain for those we miss
The future brings a shiver.
Gone all hope of bliss.
Gone the lovely Springtime,
With romance in the air:
Gone those sweet Illusions
When the -world seems so fair.
For youth is like a sunbeam
Its stay is short and sweet,
A kiss, a sigh a joy sublime;
Again we never meet.
And all that's left of a lifetime.
Is vouth's sweet memories.
Forever gone the Springtime
Leaving naught but reveries.
, : AJN.NA. UULD.,
Sl'XDAY LAW IS STILL ON BOOKS
General Repeal Act of IS 64 Coold Xot
Apply to It, Arpnes Lawyer.
M'MIXNVILLE, Or., Sept. 19 (To
the Editor.) In The Oregonian you
publish an interview with Judge
Holmes, of Tillamook, concerning our
Sunday law, and Judge Holmes is re
ported as saying that the Sunday law
was repealed in 1864. He refers to the
decision of a Salem Circuit Judge so
holding. In this interview Judge
Hdtmes says that the Sunday law was
handed down from territorial days and
included in our criminal code on Octo
ber 19, 186-1. He says that the Leg
islature, two da-3 after tho adoption
of our criminal code, repealed the Sun
day law contained therein and he
quotes the section of the repealing act
which ho says repealed the Sunday
law and this repealing section con
tains tho following:
"That all statutes of a general na
ture passed or ln force before the com
mencement of the session, commencing
September 8. A. D. 1862, except those
enumerated and mentioned in the next
section, be and they are hereby re
pealed." v
It will be seen that this repealing
section has no reference whatever to
any laws except those passsed or in
force prior to. Setpember 8. 1862. It
did not repeal, and it was not intended
to repeal, any laws passed since 1862.
Whether the Territory of Oregon had
a Sunday law similar to the law passed
in 1864 is immaterial.
The Legislative Assembly on October
19, 1864. passed an act entitled "An
act to provide a code of criminal pro
cedure and to define crimes and their
punishment." This act was Intended
to cover all crimes that should be pun
ishabls when it should take effect and,
by the terms of section 721 thereof, it
took effect on May 1, 1865. It created
a complete criminal code and contained
721 sections. It passed both houses
and was approved by the Governor. It
was in all respects a valid act. Section
652 of said act is the Sunday law re
ferred to by Judge Holmes and which
he says was repealed by an act passed
two days later. Now, it certainly can
not bo reasonably claimed that, when
the Legislature enacted a criminal
code, it could not by the act creating
the criminal code adopt a section re
lating to the doing of business on Sun
days, even though the territory may
have had a similar provision. Hence I
conclude that section 652 of the crim
inal code, adopted in 1864, was valid.
The fact that some or even all of its
provisions may have been in a terri
torial act could not have affected its
validity.
Two days after the Legislature
passed tho act creating the criminal
code, as abpve stated, it passsed a re
pealing act, which, according to Judge
Holmes, repealed all statutes of a gen
eral nature that had been passed or
were In force before the commencement
of the session of the Legislative As
sembly that convened on September (.
1862. except such acts as were men
tioned in a subsequent section of said
repealing act. It is certain that said
repealing section did not repeal and
was not intended te affect any act of
the Legislature that was passed after
September 8, 1862. Its language re
stricts its effect to acts passed prior
to that date. Therefore, can it be
reasonably contended that it repealed
an act passsed October 19, 1864? If it
can. then plain language is meaning
less. On October 19. 1864. the Legis
lature passsed ftie criminal code, in
cluding the Sunday provision, and two
days later repealed laws passsed prior
to September 8, 1862, and it is claimed
that such repeal reached the act
passed in 1864, because the latter act
contained a Sunday provision like the
one in force in territorial days.
The criminal code passed In 1864
contained provisions relating to lar
ceny, burglary, arson, rape and mur
der and the territorial laws contained
provisions to the same crimes and, if
Judge Holmes' contention is valid as
to the Sunday law, the same kind of
reasoning might invalidate our code
provisions relating to those crimes.
Judge Holmes says that Judge Gal
loway sustained the point that he is
now making and held the Sunday act
invalid. I hope that he is in error
to to Judge Galloway. I believe that
Judge Holmes' contention is without
substantial foundation.
The Sunday law passed in 1864 Is
not the same as our present law on
that subject. That law has been
amended once or twice since 1864. In
its original form and as since amend
ed it has passed the Legislature twice.
If not three times. That ought to
satisfy Judge Holmes.
AMICUS CURIAE.
MAKE LEGISLATION CI TO DATE
Onp-I)ar-Hrt-ln-SrVfn Act Is Better
Than Sunday I. aw.
PORTLAND. Sept. 20. (To the Ed
itor.) Your editorial. "Now What?"
will meet with the approval of all per
sons who realize the utter "absurdity."
as you phrase it. of the old Sunday
or Sabbath legislation to meet the
needs of modern life.
How to meet those needs by nrovid
ing for the operation of Industries that
must be continuous and at the same
time give the workers required time
for rest and recreation once a week
may not be so patent. Believing that
ihe Oregonian and its readers are in
favor of some rational way of provid
ing, as far- as possible, for such rest
and opportunity for recreation for each
person. I am taking the liberty of call
ing your attention to the enclosed
standard bill providing for the needs
of the worker, the necessities of mod
ern business and the legitimate desire
for recreation by giving "oie day of
rest in seven." A bill based upon this
stjndard form was Introduced Into the
last Legislature but failed of passage.
If that, or some similar piece of mod
ern legislation were now on our stat
utes we would not be called upon to
contemplate "What Next?" as the logi
cal result of the "decision of the Su
preme Court upon the meaning of our
ancient Sabbath law which, because It
is an anachronism, protects neither the
worker nor the day in an effective
manner.
Would not the answer to your edi
torial question "Now What?" be best
made by bringing our legislation up to
date? FREDERIC K. HOWARD.
PRODUCE OT FRESH FROM KAItM
Mr. Duncan Aerta Public Market Sella
Tons From Other States. '
PORTLAND. Sept. 20. (To the Ed
itor.) Please allow me ;pace in The
Oregonian to suggest to those dear
people who believe they are getting
produce "fresh from the farm" at the
public market an early morning stroll
along Front street.
Let .them go at about 5 o'clock in
the morning. There, if they will but
keep their eyes open, they will see a
day's supply of stock for the public
market emerging from the filthy base
ments of that waterfront street. If
they will forego the theater one night
and spend it investigating the condi
tions of those basements they will not
only learn Just how fresh the produce
is, but they will form the acquaintance
of the fattest rats they ever met or
overtook in their lives.
Yet a grocer must cover his produce.
And we try to keep dogs out of our
stores. From producer to consumer?
Nothing is farther from the truth. One
Portland commission house sells thou
sands of dollars worth of produce on
the market. Tons of It come here from
California and Washington and are
handled by one firm.
As I was saying, let them take an
early morning walk along ' Front
street and see those industrious mar
ket tenants bringing the daily supply
from the rat-infested basements.
ROBERT G. DUNCAN,
Manager Portland Orocera", and Mer
chants' Association.
wenty-Five Years Ago
From The Oregonian of September 21. 1S9U.
Constantinople. Sept. 20. The official
report of the loss of the British Man-of-war.
Ertogoul, says 587 persons wero
drowned and 66 saved.
New York. Sept. . 20. The statue of
Horace Greeley, at the Tribune en
trance, was unveiled today by Gabrielle
Greeley, in the presence of a vast
crowd. Ohauncey M. Depew made tho
chief speech.
Sofia. Sept. 20. Tho overflow of tho
Martiza River was attended by a great
loss of life. Fully 100 peasants wero
drowned and at Mustapha 100 Turkish
soldiers perished in the flood.
Articles incorporating the ' Wait
Roberts Company were yesterday iiloil
with the County Clerk by Charles N.
Wait, W. W. Roberts. Ed D. Curtis and
G. W. Ross, with a capital of 110.000.
The object of the company is to carry
on a general real estate and insurance
business.
i
Buffalo. Sept. 20. BuTington's men
had nr. easy time of it today. In spito
of their 'errors, and by the batting
Cunningham had in the fourth and
eighth innings won almost without a
struggle. Scoro: Boston 5. Philadel
phia 13.
S-n Jose, Cal., Sept. 20. The Repub
lican convention of the Fifth Congres
sional district met at tho Vendoma this
afternoon and by acclamation declared
James D. Byrne, of San Mateo, candi
date for Congress.
Boise City. Sept. 20. President Rich
and Bisiiop Donelson, Mormon digni
taries, were arrested by a United
States Marshal on a charge of conspir
acy in advising Mormons to violate the
election laws two years ago. It is
stated other arrests will follow.
Berlin, Sept. 20. After a grand pa
rade of troops near Eicholz this morn
ing the Emperors William and Franz
Joseph parted with embracing anil
kissing, after complimentary speeches
on both sides and much cheering by
their retainers. Emperor William
thanked Emperor Francis Joseph and
the King of Saxony for attending the
maneuvers and said he hoped what
they had seen had convinced them that
the army remained as efficient under
his leadership as it was under Emperor
Wlllian.
Half a Century Ago
From The Oregonian of September -1, lSt5.
New York, Sept. 17. The Herald's
Charleston's correspondent says that in
consequence of the trouble between
planters and f reedmen the former
complaining of disregard of contracts
on the part of the latter, the negroes
charging the employers with injustice
and cruel treatment. General Berma.
temporarily in command of the Chares
ton district, has issued an order re
quiring all whites and blacks to give
up all the arms in their possession.
The old pro-slavery and secession
spirit was expected to show itself in
tho state convention. Some of tho
delegates were congratulating them
selves in the belief that slavery was
not yet dead.
"Alas the frailty of human calcula
tions." Our pleasant days were badly
interrupted yesterday by a visitation
from the clouds of heavy drops of rain.
Montgomery. Sept. 13. A vote vh3
taken this morning in the convention
and it was decided. 58 to 84, against
the repudiation of the Confederate state
debt.
The Sierra Nevada will be the last
steamship, at least for some time,
leaving this port for San Francisco via
Victoria. On the arrival of the Active
from below all steamers will run di
rect from and to San Francisco and
Portland, the Victoria trade being loft
wholly to the Active.
Snperintendent Haines arrived from
the North a few days since and yester
day proceeded to lay a submarine tele
graph cable acrotis the river at this
city, to take the place of the wire at
present suspended from the mast be
low the gas works.
New York, Sept. 16. The Tribune's
Wushington special dispatch says somi
of the original planters are directing
attention to the importation of foreign
laborers to conduct the Department of
Agriculture. A penUeman in Char
lotte, North Carolina, has introduced
22 Swedes as laborers, who have proved
patient, industrious and enerjret ie. but
some apprehensions are entertained
lest the climate so far south may op
erate unfavorably on their health.
IT'S BOTH SAFE AXU DF.SERY1XO
Streetcar Should He Preferred toJltnej",
Says Writer
PORTLAND. Sept. 20. (To the Edi
tor.) With sunrise regularity the
papers continue to record jitney acci
dents. Evidently, peoplo who ride in
them take long chances, and when they
get broken arms, legs or serious in
ternal injuries, followed by long suf
fering and expense, they can blame no
one but themselves. They assume both
bodily riskand Insurance: for from
Jitney no damages can be recovered.
They give no bonds, are subject to no
regulation, pay no license. When busi
ness is good they rurk. when fares are
few they quit a law unto themselves.
In comparison with the number of
passengers carried by the streetcar
company. Jitney accidents are 1000 to 1.
An accident on the streetcar, if not
through your own negligence (and
often when it is), brings prompt and
adequate compensation. The system i3
one of the best, its convenience wide
spread, its employes much above the
average in efficiency and courtesy.
It must run its cars on schedule
whether there are passengers or not;
pays enormous taxes, helps to pave
and maintain streets it operates upon;
nnd by all that is Just and right, even
if the traveling public's interest in the
matter of self-protection did not sug
gest it. the streetcar company de
serves our patronage.
C. H. SHOLES.
LET ALL GET IX OX PEACE PLAN
Writer Would Enlarge Lafe Young's
Suggestion About Germans.
PORTLAND, Sept. 20. (To the Ed
itor.) Ex-Senator Young's suggestion
that German-Americans write to the
Emperor of Germany pleading for
peace and telling him that they would
fight for the United States in case of a
war with Germany is a good one. capa
ble of enlargement and possibly of
shortening the war. Kindly permit
me to suggest to Mr. Young through
your columns that he launch such a
campaign in connection with his ad
dress on Monday evening.
But to be effective such a campaign
should include Austro-Americans, Bel
gian - Americans. British - Americans.
French-Americans, Russian Americans,
in fact all whose mother country is at
war.
If these Americans of foreign de
scent would each write an urgent ap
peal to their respective home country,
the rulers would surely pause and con
sider. If The Oregonian and Des
Moines Capital will launch and suc
ceed with such a campaign they will
earn the deepest gratitude of the en
tire world and also make Portland ond
Dest Moines, as well as these two pa
pers, world renowned. "
O, M. HIRSC3L