Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937, July 13, 1916, Image 8

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Morning Oregonian., July 13, 1916, Page 8, Image 8

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Newspaper Page Text9 TIIE MOUSING OREGOXIAX, TI.TTJRSDAT, JULY 13, 1916. POSTLAXS. OREGON, tlntwred at .Portland f Oregon) iotofflc aa Mcondrclui mail matur. Subscription Rates invariably la advance,: (By Mail.) Dally, Sunday Included, one year Daily, Sunday included, six months.... 4.25 Dally Sunday Included, three mantbs.. a.25 Daily. Sunday Included, one monxa- -. -Daily, without Sunday. one year........ -0u Daily-., without Sunday, six months 8-23 Daily, without Sunday, three mon-the. . . 1.1S Dally, without Sunday one month. .80 Weekly, one year , - J-jJJ Sundsy, one year - Z rn Cunday and "Weekly, one year....' (By Carrier.) Bally. Sunday Included, one year 9.00 Daily. Sunday Included, one month How to Remit Send postofflca money order, express order er personal check on your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency are at sender's risk. Give postoff Ice address in foil. Including county and state. Postare Rates 12 to IS pages. 1 cent: 18 to 34 pages 2 cents; 34 to -IS pases. 3 cents; i BO to 60 pages. 4 cents; 62 to 76 pages. C cents; 78 to 82 pages, 6 cents. Foreign postage, double rates. Eastern Business Office) Verree ec Con Bi ll n.. Brunswick building. .'ev York; Verree ' & Conklin. Steger building. Chicago. San ' Francisco representative. R. J. Bid well. 742 ' Msrket street. PORTLAND. THURSDAY, JIM 13, 1916. HUMAN BEINGS. , The money Interests endeavored to force I vi Into war with Mexico recently, and If they had succeeded, we would have given ; the blood of our sons to put dollars into 1 their pockets. This kind of loose talk serves to ' keep a lecturer on the Chautauqua ; circuit. Yet there is never a showing ' of how the "money interests" very nearly brought on a, war. What had the money interests to do 'with Vera Cruz two years or more ago, when President Wilson sent a ', fleet and troops into ' Mexico ? Or "; 'with Carrizal? Or with Columbus, or 't Glenn Springs ? Or any provocative ' and murderous acts of Mexican gueril las and robbers? We take it that no money Interests wrote, or inspired the. President or Secretary who wrote, the note to Car ' ranza plainly asserting American, rights . and as plainly threatening American intervention. Nor did any money in terests dispatch an ultimatum to the ; earns Carranza demanding the release -- of the captured negro troopers, at an j hour certain. Nor did the money in . terests send the regulars into Mexico or the National Guard to the border. . To say that they did is to intimate that President Wilson acted upon the . behest of improper and unpatriotic ; influences. I Mexico is a condition, a horrible ' fact, a stricken and despoiled people, a helpless neighbor, ignorant, unhap py, deceived, prostrate. Yet this same Chautauqua lecturer talks of peace for us, not for them and enunciates beautiful, but meaningless abstrac tions, about the brotherhood of man and our duty to humanity. There is nothing in recent or remote history to show that Mexicans are not human beings. NEW INTERNA!, TAXES. It was peculiarly appropriate that, in raising the additional revenue neces sary to place the country in an ade quate state of defense. Congress should impose taxes on industries which have s profited especially by our present prosperity and on accumulated wealth. 3t is eminently proper that those who profit by war should pay the largest share of the cost of military pre paredness. That is the Justification for the increased taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations and for the new taxes on munition profits and on inheritance provided by the rev enue law which has passed the House. Not only is there something repug i nant to American ideals in unusual ' profit derived from sale of death-deal- ing implements, but such profit gives those who enjoy it a sordid interest in the promotion of war, which ex plains the 'unfounded suspicion that the demand for preparedness is pro- ' moted and financed by munition man ufacturers. Sound policy dictates that this interest be limfted bo far as pos Bible, "which can most readily be done by taking in the form of taxes profits in excess of normal. There is then no more. inducement to engage in mu nition manufacture than in any oral' nary Industry. The same reasoning applies at present to practically all other sources of large fortunes, for expansion of the munition business has added to the profits of almost ev ery Industry, from cattle-growing to transportation by both railroad and ship. The Increased income tax is 'therefore equally justified. The prin ciple is the same as that which bel- . ligerent nations follow in taxing war profits-. While a Federal inheritance tax has : heretofore been upheld by the courts, it is likely to cause confusion and con ' flict between Nation and states, for ; many of the latter, including Oregon . already tax inheritances. It is de- ' sirable on the one hand to limit swol len fortunes by taxing them more heavily than those of moderate size, ; but on the other hand not to tax es- , tates so heavily as to discourage enter . prise and thrift. These ends would be : best served by & single, uniform tax ; throughout the country, of which fixed proportion was paid Into the , state treasury. An unusually heavy state tax, added to the Federal tax, would not then discourage thrift in any one state, while uniformity of the tax would deprive the rich of any in ducement to transfer their holdings from one state to another for the pur pose of evading the heavier tax. While it is eminently Just that. wnen addition! taxes become neces sary, they should bear more heavily on the wealthy than on the poor and people of moderate .means, the neces slty of imposing such taxes is a sad commentary on Democratic Adminis tration. The present extraordinary military expenses, with the exception of those grooving out of the Mexican troubles, are incurred to make good the neglect of former years and should be paid from current revenue. Had not the Underwood tariff reduced our revenue at the same time that waste ful appropriations increased our ex penditures, we might, with much smaller Increase in taxes, have pro vided the necessary funds. Customs duties have always been our most fruitful source of revenue.' By dou bung them and adding 10 per cent th Government paid the entire cost of the war of 1812. The low tariff of 1816 caused a deficit until 1824. when a protective tariff enabled the Nation to pay off the last dollar of debt "on January 1, 1832. A low tariff then drove the Government to issue bonds In order to pay its expenses, and so it continued until the Civil War. After . that war customs taxes enabled the nation to pay its expenses, including Interest on the huge war debt, and also to reduce that debt enormously, During the Administration of Benja min Harrison 365,000,000 of debt were paid off, but during the secon Cleveland Administration under th Wilson tariff J265, 000,000 of new debt was Incurred, By imposing internal I the Soanish war was paid out of rev enue by a Republican Administration. Presidents Roosevelt and Taft paid more than half the cost of the Pana ma Canal from the surplus of ordi nary revenue. It was left for the Wilson Administration, while it boast ed that the Nation was at peace, to Impose extraordinary direct taxes for the payment of necessary expenditure for putting the country in safe defen sive condition. The only sure and permanent rem edy for this prodigal handling of the National finances is a budget system, as recommended in the Republican platform. That system would impose economy on both executive officers and Congress by forbidding them to incur or authorize expense without providing revenue to meet it. That system would be a. sure step to busi nesslike handling of rivers and har bors, public buildings, Navy-yards and Army posts, the bottomless pits into which public money has been poured. Necessity of immediately imposing more taxes having arisen, the Demo cratic leaders have not erred seriously in the manner of imposing them, but they cannot escape responsibility for the necessity. BRAVE BOYS OF JEFFERSON. The other day a number of mothers who have sons on the Mexican, border met to learn why two instructors who had been Identified with the Jeffer son School machine gun company, to which the boys belonged, had not gone to the front. They were under the impression that the instructors, who were school professors, were slack ers, oecause wnen trie can to action came they haQ not responded. It appeared that one of the instruct. ors Professor Mangold had served six years in the Guard and that he had encouraged the boys to join the high school company and had himself signed the roll;, but he had resigned last February. The other instructor Professor May had not been active in the original organization of the company but. ac cording to his own statement, he had later applied for membership, and had signed a paper which he did not read, and had immediately resigned when e had found he had Joined the Na tional Guard. What he did know was that he did not care to subject him self to a call to the colors. As to the boys under his instruction, that as another matter. The mothers felt that the ac tion of the two professors re quired "explanation." Obviously it id. Much explanation. One of them announced himself as entirely willing to go to the front if the mothers felt that way about it. but they did not. The other Professor May continues to talk verbosely of the great value of military training in the schools, and to defend it, but he thinks 18-year-old oys ought not to have to go to war. The Jefferson mothers appear to have been persuaded finally that the whole thing was due to an "unfor tunate misunderstanding." Undoubt edly it was. What was obvious was that their sons had been sent to war, and the professors, who had also en listed, had got out in time, and were able to stay at home. Evidently, the Instructors had had no intention of doing otherwise. The mothers had supposed differently, but now they know better. . Meanwhile the brave boys of Jef ferson, who had enlisted in the high school company, also took the Fed eral oath. They might have backed out by refusal to go into the United States volunteer service, but there was not a slacker among them. EXACTLY SO. "The Oregonian persists in critl cising the National forest policy," says Government official, "saying the people of the Bast are locking up the West, after exploiting their own country." The Oregonian has done Just that It will continue to do just that. It will comment upon the results of the National policy of reservation as It sees them. It will protest against administration of the public lands and the public forests in the states for the benefit of Federal Treasury and not for the benefit of the people upon, them, nor of the states in which they lie. It protests against the pre tense of encouragement of homesteads upon the reserves and against the fact of discouragement by responsible officers of the Government. It de Clares that the scheme by which Ore gon was deprived of its proper share of the reclamation fund was delib erate spoliation of the state. The highest use to which the public lands may be put is settlement, including the arable lands in the forest reserves, "The Government," says this self same official, "is spending approxi mately. J2.000.000 a year buying land in the Alleghenles at $5 and $10 per acre land which had been denuded and upon which the growing of new forest will require 60 to 200 years Exactly so. And Oregon pays share of the J2, 000, 000 in order to re create forests which Pennsylvania and adjoining states by their own acts had lost; while Pennsylvania Insists on having a hand in the control and dis position of lands and forests in Ore' gon, the value of which Oregon per rectiy understands, and would in no event despoil or destroy. BIG GUNS AND BAIN. Despite the difficulty of framing a law for storms, theorists are no oauniea. just now .there Is a re vival of faith in the power of the de tonation of great quantities of ex plosives to cause atmospheric changes, to precipitate rain, even to set a gale to work. These, Judging empirically, point to the coincidence of the war in Europe with the exceptionally moist season through- which the United States has been passing recently. It might be true if the bombardments on the war fronts, gigantic as are the efforts of the artillerymen, were real ly enormous when compared with our whole world. It will tax normal credulity to ask it to accept the theory that mankind could assemble guns enough in Franc or Poland to cause it to rain in Oregon and Washington, and yet those who do so believe will continue to point to the coincidence of our delayed Summer and will refuse to believe otherwise until confounde by an opposite experience. It happens, according to the weather statisticians of the East, that Just a cen tury ago the country experienced al most such a season as the present The year 1816 was a year that tried the patience of everyone. Winter was prolonged until farmers were in de spair. There was a brief Spring, during which they managed to get some seed into the ground; then came the rains again and washed them out, and late frosts froze them and more rains fol lowed. It was referred to in writings of the day as the year without Summer." People were perhaps more given to .religious observances then than, acys, fpe w9 read, tkafc It wM common that year to hold meetings to pray for cessation of the storms, Just as half a century later Kansas prayed for rain. There were whis perings by the more superstitious ones of the coming of another deluge. Yet the nations of the world were, rela tively speaking, at peace. It is recalled also that a man named James P. Espy, employed in one of the Government departments at Wash, ington, framed along in the '60s a "law of storms." He did not contend that "rain could always be produced from a clear sky; certain conditions were demanded. They were that there should coincide a season of drouth and a high dew point, having Which he proposed to precipitate the moisture by building immense fires, which would produce an upward cur rent. Air would flow In, he said, to take the place of that which was ris ing, condensation of moisture would follow and presently the sky would be overcast. His demonstrations were in conclusive and he died in 1860, firm In his own belief but leaving a world still skeptical. In the early '80s ef forts to save the crops In a season of protracted drouth by bombarding .the skies in Kansas proved pitifully in adequate, and the rain cannoneers were laughed at for their pains. It happens to be Jrue that it Is raining a good deal of the time this season in France and .Flanders, the weather being so wet as to interfere materially with the allies in project ing their great offensive. Also it is true that there was a great storm on the Gulf Coast at the time the big drive was being started. We are hav. ing an excess of precipitation else- here. But the law of the elements still remains uninterpreted; it will take more bombardments and more drives to establish ttyat it is anything more than a coincidence, especially in view of the experience of the people who ere here in 1816. TARIFF COMMISSION FLAN DISFIGURED Some of the best features of the tariff commission scheme included in the revenue bill have been destroyed by amendments made in the House. The scheme as it goes to the Senate not that which was approved by the National Tariff Commission League and by the Chambers of Com merce and the press of the United States. .ThTough these means o expression public opinion had declared for a commission of men whose ability and character would assure the people thorough, impartial inquiry and rec ommendations so wise that the people would approve them and would force Congress to adopt them. In order to obtain the services of such men. It was proposed that they be paid 112,- 00 a year each, the same salary as is paid to members of the Federal Reserve Board, but the House com mittee reduced the amount to $10,000 and the House has further reduced it to $7600. At that salary the Gov ernment cannot obtain the services of the type of men required; it will get second or third-rate men, whose opin ions will not inspire the confidence which it is desirable that a tariff commission's advice should Inspire. In order to eliminate any suspicion f political motives for the action of the commission and in order to pre vent its becoming a refuge for "lame ucks," provision was made that no member or ex-member of Congress should be eligible for appointment upon it, but the House struck out this restriction. Apparently it does not I wish to close any avenue to the Fed- ral Treasury against the lame ducks. no matter if the work of Impartial tariff revision should be wrecked. Another essential of efficient, non- political tariff revision is permanence of the commission. In order to in ure it, the bill sponsored by the Tariff Commission League provided a permanent, annual appropriation for its expenses. That would have pre vented the question from being raised yearly in Congress, when regular ap propriations were under discussion, whether the commission should live or die. Congress could not kill it by merely stopping the appropriation; legislation specifically abolishing it would be necessary. The House has struck out the provision for a con tinuing, annual appropriation and has substituted an appropriation for a single year. The effect is to give the commission a precarious, year-to-year existence which may be ended at the pleasure of a partisan majority. If the tariff 1b really to be taken out of politics, it Is essential that the Senate restore the bill to the shape in which it received the practically unani mous indorsement of the press and the business community. Should the present congress give the Nation a tariff commission such as this bill prescribes. It will not have given that which the people ask; it will have given something very far from being "Just as good. STRAINING THE LAWS MEANING, The Interstate Commerce was driven to strain the meaning of words almost to the breaking point in order to find legal authority for its decision abol ishing Pacific Coast terminal rates. The fourth section of the law of 1906 forbids a railroad which has reduced rates in competition with water routes to raise them again unless the- Com mission finds changed conditions other than elimination of water competition to warrant the increase. The Com mission's decision was based wholly on elimination of water competition, but it overcomes this obvious conflict with the law by saying: The Commission Itself fixed the relative measure of the rates It cannot say that it made the rates themselves and further on It admits that the railroads made them, for it says: The carriers have proceeded In this case, under the authority of the Commission, to make only such rates to the Coast points as would enable them to compete The decision is obviously contrary to the plain Intent of the law. Evi dently Congress intended that, com petition between water and railroad lines having once been proved and formally acknowledged, its existence should not again be questioned. It permits the Commission from time to time to prescribe the extent to which the railroad may be relieved from the obligation to charge no more for shorter than for a longer distance, but water competition must be treated as an established fact so long as the water route is open. Further changes in railroad rates are permitted only when conditions other than water competition had changed. The Commission s reasoning , is faulty In another respect. It says the purpose of that part of the fourth section permitting exemption of rail roads from the long-and-short-haul clause when water routes compete was "to preserve and promote com petition by the water-carriers." Per mission to railroads to make compet ing rates has the precisely opposite effect; It preserves and promotes com. JfieUtifln of, railroads, ovilh, ivajer-c&r- riers, and the entire tewor of the fourth section and of the discussion which preceded its adoption shows such to have been its purpose. But the Commission reads into ic the con trary purpose and adopts a strained construction of the law's meaning in order to disturb a fundamental con dition of rate making for the sake of conforming to a merely temporary absence of water competition. Before the Commission had had time to frame its decision, one of the grounds for that decision the clos ing of the Panama Canal had been removed. For all the Commission knows, the remaining grounds may be removed before the decision can be-J come effective. In that event, the de cision . would be left suspended, like Mahomet's coffin. In mid-air, without support in either law or traffic con ditions. It Is not conceivable that no relief can be obtained from a decision so contrary to law and fact that the courts would refuse to take cognizance of its manifest injustice and perversion Of the law to defeat the plain purpoao of Congress. While the courts have refused to review orders which plainly come wlthin the broad discretion vested in the Commission, they would surely review such an order as the one in question, by which the Com mission has exceeded Its powers to defeat the purpose of Congress. A SOLDIER'S FUNERAL. What spectacle could be more in spiring to sentiments of patriotism than that of a soldier's funeral par ticularly the funeral of a soldier who has fallen in valiant fight against great odds? The slow-pacing escort, the riderless horse, the mournful, wailing music, the flag-draped caisson all are eloquent of that ready, unquestioning sacrifice of all for country which the soldier pledges and freely makes: These are reflections inspired by witnessing the funeral of Lieutenant Adair. He did his duty In full meas ure, running over; he did not hesitate and consider whether it was worth while. He did not vacillate, nor watch, fully wait, nor seek the-easiest way out of a desperate situation. He struck hard at the foe who attacked in front, qn right and on left, and received his mortal wound facing his enemy, as a soldier should. He proved once more that a soldier's life is measured not by the number of its years nor in any other way than by the quality of its deeds. Though it be short, if it be filled "with duty faithfully done, with battles bravely fought and if it be finished with death unflinchingly faced, it is complete, a perfect whole. So long as men can die as Adair died, the age of chivalry la not dead, for he was as truly "without fear and with out reproach" as was the medieval Chevalier Bayard. America has its chivalry no less valiant than had me dieval Europe. This republic owes it to its chivalry that the lives of men such as Adair shall not be frittered away by timid, halting statesmanship, that its brave sons shall not die in vain. Phosphorus, one of the three most Important elements required by plants - the others being nitrogen and pot ash, which have been made scarce and high in price by the war comes into prominence again because of the general discussion of our resources in tertiilzlng materials, and It is com forting to note that in this respect, at least, we shall not in all probability uffer because of the disturbance of trade with Europe. The output of Florida alone has exceeded in recent ears the production of any foreign country. The manner of the forma tion of the deposits is not yet thor oughly understood, but it is supposed to be connected with the existence in a prehistoric time of living organisms in sea water, and with the mastodon and rhinoceros, whose. teeth and bones furnished the material which nature in subsequent geologic periods con centrated into their present form. When the Chicago depositors lost money in Lorimer's bank the first time, it was his fault; if they lose it a second time, the fault will be their own. But Lorimer surely has hyp notic power or he could not induce his own victims to back him. AU that was mortal of a gallant son of Oregon was placed within the shel tering "bosom of his native soil yes terday and his death in a foreign land Is a direct charge against the mockery of the shallow ambition of the Ad ministration at Washington. Naturally Britons praise the skill of Captain Koenig in bringing the Deutschland across the Atlantic. That is the strong feature of British peo ple. They applaud Individual merit of a foe, even when obliged to kill him. If the National Guard Is to be re cruited quickly to war strength, the recruiting officers should be where men are to be found, not twelve miles away. Things will move more swiftly with offices in Portland. Democratic officeholders in Oregon are reported to be slow with offer ings for the campaign fund. SThey need much Jogging to make their con. tributions purely voluntary, but they will get it, never fear. Why is it necessary for Americans to seek protection under the British flag In Mexico if we are not at war with that country? If the necessity exists, why are we doing nothing? The one safe incentive to the placing of a stopper on eloquence in Congress is the desire of its members to turn loose their eloquence on the voters in the campaign. Commissioner Daly's water inspect ors are surely daylight savers or they could not catch water-users sprinkling at dawn. If the United States has no right to "butt into" the affairs of Mexico, neither has it that right In regard to Panama. ' . It is little wonder big sums are of fered for passage on the Deutsch land to Europe. The novelty Is dis tinct, and that appeals to many. Turkey has so many wars on its hands that it is not only unspeakable but is almost speechless. Castro has called the ex-dictators of South America to meet in a lodge ol sorrow. This will be a Juicy state when all the loganberries are squeezed. Buying a car is the easy part of it. You must learn all the traffic-rules. When Cipriano Caetrft arrives, pin hixa, to a board, . . , Northwest Verse POLITICS AT HAROSCRABBLE. We had met fur our We'nsday night season o' prayer an' song In ol" Hardscrabbla church, , Not dreamin' our brotherly love 'd git knocked from its roost on the piety- perch. -An' never suspectln' ol' Satan was .there a-lyin' in wait, as you'd say. In the shadders o' sin like a ravenous beast o' the Jungle a-watchln' fur prey. The sperrit o' grace was at work in our hearts. Jus' seemed like a mantle o" love Had fallen as soft as a feathery robe from the land of immortals above On our worshipful heads, till the min ister called on ol' Deacon Aminl dab Ware. (Who had bin a wheel hoss In the Hard. scrabble church half his life, fur to lead us in prayer. He opened his plea in the usual way by a-askin' the Master to bless The sick an' afflicted, the lame an' the halt, an' them that was bowed by distress, Thewldders an' orphants come in fur a word, an' widdowers raournin' fur mates. .(Him bein" bereaved in that manner himself, his wife bavin' skipped to the states.) fThen come without warnin what I .must admit was a most ropernen sible break. VHe prayed that the comin' election might give the Republican party the cake. An asked o the Master to open the eyes o' the masses that they might behold T9ie weakness o' spine o the shepherd that guards the sheep o' the Dim- mycrat fold. When Brother McNulty was called on to pray I felt it 'way down in my Bones That trouble was brewin', he put such a ring o defiant accent to his tones. He prayed fur the cause o' the people at large that was eatin" Prosper ity food Because o' the fact that the heaven- raised man in the White House was sure makin" good. He offered his thanks fur the cool- headed man who by use o" the cable an' mail Had sidestepped a war an' had twisted some kinks in Germany s war- wagin' tail. An said that the hosts o this peace lovin land, despite the mad ele phanfs roar. D make him stay put In the pruv-ament chair in which they had put him afore. You'd ort to a-heard the "Amens" ringin' out from the friends o the Dlmmylcrst cause. An heerd how the close o' hla eloquent plea was drownded with cheers an' applause. An Brother McNulty was awellln' with pride at the way he had yanRed 'em to taw When a hymn book let fly from Amln Idab'a hand caught him close to the base o the jaw. The brethren supportln' o' nominee Hughes won out in the ensuln fight. Just put the supporters o' Wilson to what was a sure ignominious flight. N I reckon until tha election has passed we must give our devo tions the shake. Fur religion an' politics never Vln mix In a dose that Is pleasant to tune JAMES BARTON ADAMS. LIFFS ROSE CYCLE. They brought my mother a rose tha morn She oft has told ma so Of the sunny day whsn I was born. In that Summer long ago. The rose was dainty, pure and white. The sweest flower that blows. And. because her heart with Joy was light. My mother named me Rosa. They placed a rose within my hand. And bade me look serene. And proudly In the limelight stand. That day they crowned me queen. It was the marvelous Portland rosa. With its wondroua shell-pink hro; And. in that selfsame town there grows j. similar one for you. Then, on tha day a maiden deems The sweetest of her lite. When earth to her a heaven seems. And naught but Joy is rife. He brought me yet another rose. A rose of crimson red; Its glorious heart with passion glows, As mine for you, ne saia. Today they bring a rose to me. A rose whose niteness cnarms. Then turn tha covers back to sea The babe within my arms. HORACE WILLIAM MACN'EAL SHAKESPEARE IJIMOKTALE. Master Will. I pray thee grant but Just a moment To one feeble tribute to thy wit. That from the soul a meed of praise be sent As incense offered to the gods By mortal man. Thy philosophy, greater than any other attribute. Hath oft ordained events. The coat doth oft proclaim the man, But thy mantle hath not been fitting, Had it graced other shoulders. Thy soul with tender wit and grace aflame Oft In epigrammatic, rhyme Banished the seed of cant. And gave to wisdom, life. With hope eternal. The truth emblazoned by thy pen Proclaimed Itself aloud. And through songs of Jest and mirth Yet shone resplendent In thought, in verity. Thy mind still binds in tender grasp The mental powers of earth. And knits in closer lines anew Thy birtb. thy merits, ami thy fame, In oweet harmonious whole. BERNARD MULRINE. PREPAREDNESS. Some say there is need for prepared neas; Some say for Its use there is none. We know its need in our "Home, Sweet Home." Ere the battle for comfort is won. And the running of this great Nation Is much like the running of a noma, Wa need this forethought of protec tlon. Not the peace for which blood must atone. If only our Army was strengthened. Drawn up In formidable array. The enemy would stop and listen ' Would "respect" us for many a day. C. T. BAKER. THEN AND NOW. (Sursested by readtnir "Pipes o Pan.") In happy days of long ago Pan piped adown a sylvan glade. While Nymph and Satyr, to and fro. Danc'd. as be play'd. Today that erstwhile tranquil nook Is filled with Hade's discordant roar. The woosl folk shun its sullied brook Pan pipes no more. J. T.-DILLON. New.llaughty Dame. Louisville Courier-Journal. "Who is that haughty and aristo cratic dame?" "Ssh! A real personage. Regent of tho Descendants ot tho Ford Peace, Party. BORDER RATIONS SOT VARIED! Mr. Srhnabrl Hears Oregon Boya Not as Well Supplied aa Others. I PORTLAND. July 11. (To the Edi tor.) I have information- from a re- ponsible. source that the soldiers of the Oregon Guard now at the Mexican border do not receive food proper to their welfare under the existing cli matic conditions. . Their daily bill of faro consists of bacon, beans and po tatoes no fresh vegetable of any sort, and no variety at any meal excepting the kinds mentioned. They are said ot to be recelvinsr anvthinsr like aa good faro as the Government provides lor tne regulars. 1 leel that n.lria frnm the liirHchln thus imposed unon nil r men 1h Kitn- atlcn involves a serious reflection upon the people of this state. It is said that the troops from other states than Oregon have the beneftt of what is known as a "mess fund." This fund a provided by the liberality of the citi zens of the other states, and is used O supplement the meaarer and unsuit able fare which would otherwise be only available. It appears that mir hnva nrA -unrfer the Imprrsalon that some such fund is being collected here, and their com plaint, goes to What thev assumA tn be merely a delay in forwarding such pro vision for them. Conalderlnsr their ransfer from the mild vmihep nre- valling hero to a temperature of 138 to 150 degrees in the shade, when shade can be found, with the hard work and constant drilling they are required to undergo, it does seen to me that some thing should be done to provide them with suitable food. I have several relatives in th Third Oregon, and have made donations for them in conjunction with others out of my own funds, but I realize that there are very many of the boys who have no ouch source to draw from. I urge. therefore, that publicity be sriven to nis mat'er. and that we he nn r,H doing. Let the Chamber of Commerce take action and wire funds to Calexlco at once. We should also call upon our Congreasmen to take the matter up with the War Department without de lay. CHARLES J SmxAHfl. PROVIDE FOR MEN'S DEPENDENTS Correspondent Would Have States Levy Special Taxes for Purpose. fASCO, Wash.. Julv 10. (To the Editor.) A news Item savs that Kew .Mexico a militia units encamped on the ooraer threaten to be demoralized bv large numbers of men leaving the er vico under Secretary Baker's orders to discharge all militiamen having de pendents. This is a matter In nreDaredness that Fnouia De taken up at once and I be neve it is the duty of each state to provide by taxation for the dependents or those who risk life and health in the defense of their country. ine timid money arrabbera and nroo- eny noiaers wno stay at homo in com fort, while the patriotic volunteers are risking their all for their country, should at least be made to pay for the maintenance of the dependents of heir defenders. We have laws tiro- vidlng for dependents of worklnermen. Their employers are obliged to Insure them against accident, the cost being commensurate with tha risk. Can the state do less than Insure the volunteers that their loved ones win not suffer7 The general Government provides small pensions lor maimed survivors, but the careful man will hesitate to en list when the Nation la not actually at war. no matter how patriotic he may be. We are an extravagant and snend thrift Nation and statistics will show that a small percentage of workers are torenanued enough to leave their families beyond the- reach of want while the wage-earner is defending the country. Our women and children (un like those of war and soldier-ridden Europe) are not the almost universal brend-winners. jur poorest noma Is as sacred as mi oi me ncnest courtier, king or potentate. Can we lower our standard by neglecting to provide for the da pendents of our defenders? W. P. GRAY. MORE CORNERS BEING CVT OFF, Protest Made Aaalnst Continued Chances That Pile Ip Coats. PORTLAND. July 11. (To the Edi tor.) The city is cutting again atree corners on Morrison street, after having operated even in residence dis tricts where there- is little traffic I is reported that the city hns already spent over (200.003 and will have spent sjuu.uuu Deiore it is over. Ia such expense really justified by tne reason mat it will afrord more facility to fire ladders to turn corners rapidly? Expensive firo ladders! How do they manage in Boston. New Or leans, .New lork and other old cities, where many streets are so narrow xney seem to get along pretty well with their fire service. Maybe there are other kinds of firo ladders which do not necessitate an expense of S300 000. Half of that money or less would probably have bought Council Crest or made other roads or improvements fo which there would be something to snow more man cut street corners, manholes and the like. Aa a taxpayer The Oregonian should be interested in this question. How can the taxpayers' league let such ex penses go by without at least making an inquiryT PORTLANDEK. DEPOSIT GUARANTEE LAW LIKED Former Nebraska Banker I'rgea Its Adoption by Oregon. SHERWOOD. Or., July 10. (To tho Editor.) Having just recently moved from Nebraska, where I have been "a country banker" for 18 years and hav ing operated a state bank In Nebraska, where guarantee deposit law of state banks is operative. I want to write a few lines in favor of this good law. State banks in Nebraska are "forging ahead in great shape." due In a large measure to the Nebraska guarantee de posit law covering stats banks. The law has now spread till it covers Oklahoma, Texas. Kansas. South Da kota and Nebraska. Depositors now placing money in Nebraska state banks have full confidence that they will get their money back whenever they call for it. This confidence is bring ing money into Nebraska state banks from adjoining statea and from many depositors who formerly "hid their money at home. Why can't Oregon have this good law? Let's get together and sea if we cannot have It. If Oregon can get this law on her statute bocks It will be pulling off a great stunt for our Northwest country. F. N. AUSTIN. Enlisting In Canadian Army OAK POINT. July 1L (To the Edi tor.) Where and how can a man enlist in the Canadian army? SUBSCRIBER. It would be absolutely necessary for the correspondent to go to soma Cans dlan city and offer hia services. Re cruiting In tho United States for a foreign army, if attempted and de tected. would be punished under the neutrality laws. Qualifications of President. PORTLAND, July 11. (To tho Edi tor.) Can a Roman Catholic become President of tho united Statea? Can Jew become President of the United States? If not. why? C. V. W. The only qualifications of the Presi dent prescribed by the Constitution are that he be a natural born citizen, at least 35 years old and that he have been a resident within the United Statea for. J years. In Other Days. Twenty-five Years Asro. From The Oresonlaa July 13. 1S91. New York. Smalley's special cable gram to the Tribune from London ays: "Probably tha most important incident of the German Emperor'a visit to England Is that which begins Sun day and ends Monday his visit to Lord Salisbury at Hatfield. Then, if not before, it is "certain that business will be done. The absolute master of the most powerful army in the world and the virtual master of the most powerful fleet, wil not meet and sep arate without exchanging views on several subjects. Gladstone, it is now stated on good utharlty. will not retire. Ho will taka an active part In the struggle for supremacy in the Commons. Professor L. P. Henderson, the well- known botanist, formerly principal of the Portland High School, but now a resident of Olympia. is in town. He Is assistant World's Fair Commissioner or the state of Washington. Rev. G. Do La Matyr, of Akron, O., preached in the Taylor-Street Metho dist Church yesterday. His subject was ' The Glory of Human Mature. Captain J. M. Gilman, a well-known pioneer, died of heart trouble yester day at noon. It has been discovered by someone with an inquiring turn of mind that Goethe wrote Charlotte von Stein a thousand letters in ten years. Ed Long has walked off with tha championship medal of Yamhill Coun ty for being the best shot at clay pigeons. Half a Century Ago. From The Oreronlan July 13, 1G". Washington. Nesmith of Oregon has offered a resolution which has been adopted, asking for information con cerning certain disorderly proceedings. robuerleei and murders on the road from the Arizona line, to Guaymas, and di recting the military committee to In quire into the closing of that routs by the opposing forces. New York. The Pacific Mail Com pany s steamer Montana has left for San Francisco. Ottawa. July 11. There was an ex cited session of the Canadian Parlia ment. The opposition assailed tha gov ernment with great force and effect end the project of annexation to tho United States seems to gain favor. John A. Frarer. State Senator from Polk County, died of consumption at Salem, Wednesday. A special election will no doubt be called to fill tho va cancy. It has been suggested that our peo ple framn and circulate a petition- notwithstanding what has already been done asking Congress to establish a port of entry at Portland. D. C. Ireland, local editor of thlo paper, left last night on the steamer Oriflamme for a "winged" trip to San Francisco. WHY STOP .MEISIRED WATER I laer Seea 'o Reason for Restriction, If Consumer Para. PORTLAND. July 12. (To the Edi tor.) The lamest duck of the city ad ministration has charge of the water department. The martinets who run it are allowing water to run to waste by the tens or thousands of gallons; are bemoaning the fact that the revenue this Summer Is below normal and at tho snme time are sending inspectors round shutting off water of persons running their water through meters on off days. One would suppose that tha householder who has a meter and must pay for - what ha uses, should be en couraged to use all he will, during tha present superabundance of water in the reservoirs. Why not turn over to this manage ment tho Job of supplying tho people with electric light and gas? Then they would doubtless notify the consumer that he must not use gas except on certain days or electric light during certain hours, even though the pur chaser pays for every bit of gas or light he uses. It looks as though the water offi cials make useless rules Just because they can as a Czar would, without any possible explanation of the reason for them. One can see some reason tor in sisting that people using water for sprinkling on a flat basis should bo restricted as to days and hours. But what is the reason for restricting those who use through a meter, when water is so abundant? WATER-USER. CANNING FRUIT WITHOUT SIGA Oregon Agricultural College Ex pie I jo Points of Process. CORVALLIS. Or.. July 11. (To tho Editor.) A recent editorial in Tho Oregonian on canning fruit without sugar recalls the fact that the Oregon Agricultural College has prescribed a method of doing this, which is aa fol lows: Sterilize the jars by boiling in water. Prepare the fruit and put it in tho jars; adjust the rubbers, pour boiling water Into the can to fill brim full. put or covers without clamping down tight, and put Jars in washboiler or steam cooker. Cover boiler and cook fruit required length of time, which varies with different fruits. A table of cooking time for Oregon fruits and vegetables can be had by sending to college for free copy of bulletin, 'Can ning Fruits and Vegetables." Tho problem of keeping fruit la on of sterilization and sealing. Although sugar is not essential to preservation. it is a necessary article or nutrition and palatahility, and unless sugar Is unreasonably high in price it Is gen erally Best to use a email amount. Sugar demands may be distributed more evenly throughout the year by adding more when the fruit Is eaten. A sack or so may be purchased lr Win ter or early Spring, before the demand grows heavy and the price goes up. If consumers would only remember that beot sugar is in no wise different from cane sugar, that it has the same sweet ening power, is Just as good in fruits and Jells and juices as cane sugsr. that It is Just as good in every way arl costs less, tho demand for cane sugar at canning time would be still further reduced. M. S. Telling the Plain Truth. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Because, forsooth. The Oregonian ventured to trace tho history of tho Mexican Imbroglio leading up to tho late crisis and culminating In the call ing out of the National Guard and truthfully analyzed that history, with some critical comment, in passing, one of its contemporaries in a passion ot protest called it a "copperhead and questioned its loyalty. With war seem ingly Imminent, such outcries, from partisan zealots unable to defend tho record, emanated from other sources as well. A concerted effort to silenco honest criticism by this means was clearly In evidence. But these outcries fell upon deaf ears. It was all too plain that if truth-telling spelled trea son, and the locating of responsibility for tho Mexican mess exactly where it belonged meant copperhead Ism. then nine-tenths of the newspapers of tho land were daily inviting the odious ap pellation'and stout and sturdy patriots of all parties could not escape tho traitorous and treasonable character ization. People had not been reading about Mexico these weary months without becoming adequately enlight ened. Hence such buncombe failed to appeal, and the proposed Copperhead Club languishes.