Morning Oregonian., December 29, 1916, Page 10, Image 10

TTTE MORXTNG OREGOXTATf. FRIDAY,
D'FC'FMTJ'ER
29, 1916.
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PORTLAND. FRIDAY. DEC. 29. 1916.
not be done by one man or body
without the consent of some other.
That distrust survives In full force to
this day. Though the direct primary
has made officials undoubtedly the
choice of the people and though the
direct legislative powers which the
people have taken give them an ab
solute veto, the air of Oregon and
other states is still full of this dis
trust. The long and short of it is that we
cannot get rid of the evils which
mark our Government and at the
same time get the things done which
we want done unless we entrust more
power to somebody. Can we be In
duced to take the risk that this power
will sometimes be abused in order
that those who exercise It may use
it for our good? If we can. then we
can change our entire viewpoint to
ward our Government, both National
and state, from one of suspicion to
one of trust.
that Is left In them, but the animals
were spared an ignoble fate. As to
those that were not so fortunate, even
peril exists. In obtaining recognition
of his position.
Another rock on which we often
they will have a better time than j spilt is the failure to differentiate De
would have been possible two or three tween politics In the sense of office
decades ago. In the cities, especially. I holding and merely administrative
closer watch Is being kept on those duties, and the higher politics which
who need watching in their care of
dumb brutes. It is not easy for a man
to be cruel to his horse for any length
of time and go unpunished. Public
sentiment Is being educated. Convic
tions for this class of offenses are
not so hard to obtain as they once
were.
Our evolution may be slow, but It
is sure. We need only to look around
us for proof of that. We are moving
steadily In the right direction.
SIXTY YEARS OLD.
The President of the United States,
Woodrow Wilson, was 60 years old
yesterday. That the Nation wishes
lilm long life and unbroken happiness
goes without saying. It is perhaps
more to the point to report that the
Presidential health is unusually good,
and that the prospects that he will
attain the biblical fullness of years,
and more, are excellent.
The other day President Wilson re
sumed the interrupted custom of re
ceiving the newspaper men in Informal
conference at the White House. The
observant journalists noticed that ho
looked exceedingly well. "There was
a striking youthfulness about the en
tire appearance of the President," said
one of them. "While he has gained
flesh, his figure '.looks trim, almost
boyish. . . . The general Impres
sion that he gave was that he had ac
quired new vigor, had thrown off the
little physical troubles that used to
bother him, and was able to undergo
a test of endurance with a man twenty
years his junior." It was further said
that the "newspaper men carried away
with them the very oMstlnct Impression
that President Wilson Is In better
health than he has been at any time
since he entered the White House'
Woodrow Wilson. 60 years oldr" Is
Bix years younger than his great pre
decessor, Andrew Jackson, when he
entered his second term, and two years
younger than Thomas Jefferson, the
other great Democrat, at the beginning
of his second term. He Is one year
older than William Howard Taft, two
years older than Theodore Roosevelt
and six years older than Charles Evans
Hughes.
The Presidential responsibilities are
gTeat, but it appears likely that Wood
row Wilson has solved the problem
of carrying them without needless
worry.
AIII.KINti THE COW.
The Federal Government Is a gigan
tic cow, created by our revolutionary
fathers and maintained by patriotic
and philanthropic citizens, to be
milked by the average community,
through its Congressman. By some
strange freak in political terminology,
the product Is not milk but pork. The
etymology Is Inexact, but the process
is perfect.
All is well enough when the Federal
cow is fat; but just now she Is lean,
or, rather, is feeding on a diminishing
store of fodder. From some source a
deficit of $370,000,000 must be met for
the next fiscal year.
Only $370,000,000. A mere trifle,
indeed, in the lexicon of the average
Congressman. So he rolls the pork
barrel around the halls of Congress
and the fat is distributed to districts
where it will do the most good.
There are said to be 300 porclnltles
In the $38,000,000 public building bill.
One town in Kentucky, with 537 popu
lation, is to get $40,000.
If it be said that Congress will not
dare to perpetrate so gross an outrage,
let it be asked, why not?
A similar bill, carrying $40,000,000,
was jammed through the House In
1913 In fifteen minutes.
Of course Congress will dare. Has
not the Democratic party, with its rec
ord of unparalleled waste and ex
travagance, but recently been vin
dicated at the polls?
THE ROOT OF THE SPOILS SYSTEM
Those good citizens who work for
purer and more efficient government
are constantly discouraged by tho dis
covery that they have no sooner ap
parently succeeded In driving out
corruption In one place or In one
form than It reappears In another
place or another form. They do not
seem really to get anywhere, and the
general public, though favorable to
their alms, grows weary and Indif
ferent. The cause of this failure seems to
have been discovered by H. S. Gil
bertson. secretary of the National
Short Ballot Organization. In an ad
dress before the National Civil Serv
ice Reform League he suggested that
the evils against which reformers of
various types wage war arise from
the fact that we have an unwork
able system and that corruption re
sults from the efforts of political
parties to make It workable. A Gov
ernor who desires to put through a
certain legislative programme finds
the appointive offices to be the only
means of establishing a community
of interest with enough legislators
for his purpose. To put It bluntly,
he trades offices for legislation. If
he Insists on merit In his appointees
and disregards party, he secures pure
and efficient administration at the
sacrifice of legislative achievement.
Mr. Hughes, as Qjpvernor of New
Tork, was an exception, for he built
up a non-political administration and
carried through his legislative pro
gramme In his first term through di
rect appeals to the people. But he
failed to carry his direct primary bill
by that means In his second term and
the spoils system again became ramp
ant under his successors. Mr. Gil
bertson credits Presidents with "a
prestige which makes It rather less
necessary to employ the patronage for
legislative purposes," but President
Roosevelt put through some of his
most important measures only by ap
peal to the people, and President Wil
son's success is largely due to his
complaisance to the spoilsmen. "Di
rect primaries," says Mr. Gllbertson,
"added just one more element of com
plexity to government," hence are no
remedy.
His conclusion Is that the only way
to get tilings done by responsible
leaders without corrupt use of spoils
"lies in erecting a simple, unified, re
sponsible Government which will
stand on its own feet without the aid
of an extra-legal organization." He
suggested that reformers "attempt the
destruction of the need for the spoils
system by working toward" this end.
lie said: "The Progressive movement
in the West seems to be rather luke
warm In Its attitude toward civil serv
ice reform," and added that to gain
Its support "we shall have to show
them that we have found a satisfac
tory working substitute for patron
age." Then patronage would "lose its
respectability" and "would take on
the character of plain theft."
Reformers are In fact accused of
having treated the symptoms instead
of the disease, which is the division
of our Government Into air-tight com
partments. The definition of the rem
edy which is offered points to break
ing down the compartment between
the executive and legislative com
partments, to the initiative and direct
participation of executive officers in
legislation. It points to the substltu-' city
tlon of the Cabinet form of govern
ment adopted In France and in con
stitutional monarchies for our system
of Bharply divided functions. The
power of the executive under that
system would be vastly enlarged, and
the system of checks and balances
would be destroyed.
Before the American people could
be induced to make so radical a
change, it would be necessary to
hange their ideas. One of the pre
vailing motives of the framers of the
Constitution was dread of one-man
power, distrust even of men elected
directly by the people. Hence they
provided that many tilings, should
UNANIMOUS FOR REGULATION.
"No one can deny," says a volunteer
commentator on the jitney prob
lem, "no one can deny that the
one prime object of doing away
with the jitneys is to Increase the
present revenue of the streetcar com
pany." Here we have the old familiar In
sinuation that the citizen, or the pub
lic official, or the newspaper that
seeks to regulate the jitney, so as to
get service and protection for the ptib
lic, is a creature of the streetcar com
pany or "monopoly," to use the
prejudicial term usually Injected by
corporation-baiters into the discussion.
It is a serious charge to make as
serious as it is false. It must include.
of course, the many thousand Inde
pendent citizens who awhile ago voted
by an overwhelming majority that the
jitneys should be regulated.
Curiously enough, everybody agrees,
or pretends to agree, that there must
be regulation. Even Commissioner
Daly concedes that point. He devises
a scheme of regulation and procures
its sanction by the Council, and then,
when the jitneys discover, or Invent,
difficulties about it, he repudiates it.
So It Is with the other "regulators."
They are for regulation until It gives
promise of regulation; and then they
are for the promiscuous, helter-skelter,
go-as-you-please operation of the Jit
neys, under an easy system of license
and inspection.
Possibly Jlr. Daly has been right
about this business, and the four other
Commissioners wrong. Or, indeed,
probably. For he has been on both
sides of the question. So at some time
or another he has been headed in the
right direction. But now he says the
four Commissioners who agreed with
him once, and with whom he now
stubbornly disagrees, arc wrong,
though they are just where they have
been from the first.
The jitney accident last week was
the inevitable consequence of an In
tolerable and unnecessary condition.
It brought the whole issue sharply to
the public attention in its bald and
ugly nakedness. A Coroner's Jury, with
the choice Impartiality which often
characterizes such investigations, finds
that the Jitneur and the motormen
were all to blame. The jitneur. by
reckless driving, invited the accident;
the motormen might have prevented
It. No doubt. It seems to be a con
stant task for regulated motormen to
prevent accidents with unregulated
jitneys. How many lives, committed
to Jitneys, have been saved In the past
two years by prudent and skillful mo
tormen? Many, very many, without
a doubt. The jitneurs depend on it;
the motormen are held always to It.
Behind the whole problem lies the
great question of protection and re
sponsibility. What recourse have the
victims of the recent deplorable trag
edy against fhe Jitney?
The far-seeing Coroner's Jury gives
the public a hint of what may be ex
pected. The streetcar company is to
be held to strict accountability, not
only for tie safety of Its own passen
gers but for the jitney's passengers.
SETTLE IT RIGHT.
Discussion of the peculiar propensi
ties of hoopsnakes and Jolntsnakes Is
both Interesting and instructive. But
It is a diversion from the great con
troversy between science and popular
opinion as to the origin of horsehair
worms.
Let us take up nature's wonders one
at a time. Just the other day a cor
respondent gave positive evidence. He
had tied long horsehairs in a neat
bow knot, Immersed them In water
and n due time there was a neat
bow knot of squirming worms In the
pool.
There was direct testimony In be
half of popular opinion. What do we
get today In reply? Merely a quota
tion from the dictionary. Tush! tush!
What's the dictionary to free and In
dependent patrons of the Oregon
system? Only In the last election
we nearly voted down the encyclo
pedias and all the medical research
societies. We did declare popular lack
of confidence In the Constitution of
the United States.
Away with dictionaries, encyclo
pedias and constitutions. Let's vote
on it, or at least create a state com
mission to experiment with horsehairs
In stagnant pools.
ANOTHER VINDICATION".
The Christmas spirit was too much
for a Chicago jury, and it acquitted
last week another woman charged
with murder. The Tribune says that
only once in twenty years has the
death penalty been voted In Chicago
for a woman, and that was In the case
of a Creole; but It was never enforced.
The most recent Instance of the high
chivalry of Chicago Jurymen concerns
a lady who shot her husband four
times twice after he had fallen to the
ground and was beyond" any possibil
ity of doing her harm. Her plea was
self-defense. She claimed her brutal
spouse had beaten and kicked her and
she merely took her own part, as any
other lady with an Inconsiderate hus
band should do. It appeared also that
she had previously Introduced a male
bartender friend Into her home, sur
reptitiously, and had been surprised
by the husband, who had later Insti
tuted divorce proceedings. They had
subsequently met to talk it over, and
the woman has thoughtfully provided
herself with a pistol for the interview.
The Jury stood eleven to one from
the first. The lone male juror who
violated the sacred Chicago tradition
that no woman can commit muraer.
no matter how often or for what cause
she kills her man, quickly succumbed:
and Chicago gallantry was again tri
umphant, a
There are those In Chicago wno are
becoming restless over the uniform ex
oneration of woman manslayers. They
think something ought to be done
about It.
We suggest women Juries for woman
murderers.
includes everything involving our tern
poral welfare. We look only part of
our time to those who hold "office":
but constantly to those leaders of
thought and action who are more In
timately associated with our ambition
to live right. We cannot, after all.
legislate ourselves into permanent
prosperity and contentment if we de
pend on legislation alone. Our tech
nical men our Edlsons, for example
are more and more becoming our
real leaders. We shall depend upon
them In increasing degree to show us
the way out of the wilderness. We
demand of them something more than
equipment for the profession they have
chosen. They must have vision, too,
and this presupposes education In the
broadest possible sens?. It Is, as Pro
fessor Heldel says, not so much a
question of relative cost of the two
kinds of education as whether both
are equally necessary.
So far as age entitles a land to
honor, the summits of the Siskiyou
Mountains are among the select of
earth, for geologists find that this re
gion was growing forests when the
greater part of Europe was under the
surface of the sea. The Siskiyou peaks
were hills on a chain of low, flat Is
lands when the Pacific Ocean lapped
the base of the Rocky Mountains and
the leviathan of the scriptures basked
on the island shores. Then the whole
land was thrust upward from the
ocean. Siskiyou tunnel, more than
4000 feet above the level of the sea,
is driven Its entire length through
ocean shells, and follows the shore
land of an ancient Island, as indicated
by the sand line of the beach. Pilot
Rock is regarded by the same geol
ogists as a chimney that burned out
In a fire that was so hot that the mind
hardly can conceive It, a flue through
which spouted lava that, cooling.
formed a mountain range. This is the
same Pilot Rock that subsequently be
came an Indian council tower, and It
was from the council tower that the
mountain range derived Its Indian
name.
DOVE-DRY SAEXGERFEST.
BY DEAN COLLINS.
This Is wet day In the Bards' Bona-
Dry Saengerfest and Orr O. Smith Is
shaking the portcullis and demanding
permission to come in and sing.
Inasmuch as we made him keep still
for a full week, while the advocates
of the dry state were carolling and In
asmuch as one of them dropped a brick
on Orr's head in the midst of his song,
we are going to let Orr in and give
him Just one shot after which we will j
call the Incident closed and will con
tinue our Saengerfest under a set of
rules that precludes all further wran
gling. Thus then says Orr in his comeback:
We've read your pome C. M. Armstrong,
but with you can't agree.
Although your rythmic synthesis Invites
sobriety;
And as we scan your metric pome.
with glaring orbs we glim It,
And note that hyperbolic bards will
ofttimes go the limit.
Now as for that aquatic stuff that's
brought Bull Run renown.
It might be all O. K., Indeed, for wash
ing landscapes down;
But Just before It reaches us tho water
bureaus skim it;
And thus we find confronting us, some
things that go the limit.
Your ultralsxn circumscribes and per
meates fir trees.
It savors of a Jelly fish embalmed with
cottage cheese:
Your theme, abounds with vagaries,
while platitudes bedim It,
And acrimony purges not when It ex
ceeds the limit.
And now. we think that we'll retlrs
with overtures of grace.
And thank the composition staff for
our alloted space;
For If we should prolong this poms
the editor might trim It,
And so we'll bid you a farewell before
we've gone the limit.
ORR O. SMITH.
That there Is little prospect of
cheaper anthracite In our time Is In
dicated by a recent summary of oper
ating conditions in the mines. In which
there are now more than 7000 miles
of tunnels alone. The length of these
is Increasing constantly, and with It
the cost of the most expensive form
of transportation to which coal Is sub
jected, for coal must be conveyed to
the pit mouth in small cars, at low
speed, and under conditions In which
precautions necessary to make the
business even approximately safe are
highly expensive. The tunnels also
become waterways If neglected even
for a short time, and pumps must be
maintained at all times. They require
renewal of their supporting timbers
from time to time, a process that al
ready has stripped the Pennsylvania
hills of their best timber, and the yel
low pine stock of the South Is be
ing drawn upon. Mine timbers alone
cost the anthracite operators of Penn
sylvania $5,000,000 a year.
Wo wish to announce that after this
week, no further bards will be admitted
into the ante-room and that after the
holidays we will take the batch we
have on hand and pass the harp to each
one of them Just once.
By the time they get done caroling
the inevitable will have happened any
how, and so why keep the agony pro
longed. We will Instruct the Courteous Office
Boy to carry this announcement to
those who have entered or contemplate
entering the great Saengerfest of the
Bards of tho Bone-Dry State. Those
who are pro will please sit on the right
side of the room and those that are
con will sit on the left
And now wishing the same to you
and many of 'em. we close the colyum
until the glad New Year, when we
hope we shall have recovered In some
degree from the festivities of Christmas.
WOMEN'S INTEREST IS AROUSED
Unfair Detention of Troop on Border
Inspires Them to Investigate.
PORTLAND. Dec. 28. (To tho Ed
itor.) I noticed a few days since of
women In England being mobbed when
they asked for peace. Why should the
women think of peace? Many thought
less people will aay women have
nothing to do with war, but here I
beg to differ.
Tho manufacturer, when he turns
over a finished product, if he receives
his price does not care what the pur-1
chaser does with the article. uut the
mother gives her son to her country,
and she cannot feel that, after years
of careful watching and looking after
bis character and producing a flne
specimen of physique, she cares not
what becomes' of him. Does she not
give her own flesh and blood and
oftentimes her very life?
There Is another place where women
will figure more hereafter in this coun
try. In many states we have equal suf
frage, and are going to study more of
our National affairs and know If pos
sible who and what our Senators stand
for. whether we are to sit Idly by and
see our husbands and sons kept on
border duty for months when no one
can give a reason for It.
There are 16.000 troops ordered home
from the Texas border, where there
has always been more or less trouble,
while the Senators of Oregon do not
seem to bo able to get our 300 troopers
sent home from a portion of the border
where there never has been trouble.
They can no longer tell us that It's
because they are cavalry and artillery,
for we read In nearly every order of
troops of these divisions being re
turned. They say there are no troops to take
their places. Who replaced tho Cali
fornia artillery when they were or
dered home? If these men who are
responsible for such proceedings were
placed down there with the boys in
O. D. and had left wife at home and
perhaps little children, who are trying
to live with no means to live on, they
might view things differently, and
here again the women suffer.
Tho War Department Is much like an
Emperor seated on his throne, around
which are built many Inclosurea. You
appeal to the gatekeeper of the outer
Kate, and he says. "I have no author
lty further than to admit you through
this gate." You proceed to go on until
you find another gate, and the gate
keeper answers you about the same
way. You go through gate after gate,
and at last you reach the Inner gate.
There you rap, thinking you aro almost
there, when the gatekeeper tolls you,
"You should have received permission
from the first gatekeeper." You turn
and wend your way about until you
finally reach the outer gate, to find the
gatekeeper gone on a vacation. He
does not return In time for you to find
out how or when you can bo admitted
to the Emperor's domain.
A MOTHER
In Other Days.
Half n Century Abo.
From The - Oregonlan of December 2f. 1866.
The ladles of the Hebrew Benevolent
Society of this city last evening gava
a very happy surprise to their former
president. Leopold Wolff, who Is about
to leave Portland for the restorative
Influences of a milder climate.
Captain Hazsard Stevens, son of the
late General L I. Stevens, arrived by
the Orlflamme with his mother and sla
ters. Found. In tho store of T. Rogers,
bootmaker, corner of First and Yamhill
streets, a quantity of greenbacks and
an order on an Eastern bank for $400.
Rev. E. C Anderson, late from the
East, will preach at the First Presby
terian church Sunday, both In the
morning and In the evening at the usu
al hours for religious services.
Maior Stratman. of the Empire Newa
Depot, San Francisco, sent us by the
Orlflamme a large bundle of Eastern
newspapers, for which ha haa our
thanks.
Twenty-five Years Ago.
From The Oregonlan of December 29, 1891.
London. Dec 27. Th Royal Thea
tre, In Gateshead. County Durham, was
laat night the scene of a frightful pan
ic, in which, according to ,tn reports
received, at least 10 persons lost their
Uvea An hysterical cry of "fire" waa
tha cause.
San Antonio, Tex., Deo. IS. Tha
situation on tho border Is beoomlng
more serious, and It Is believed the
trouble will not be overcome without
considerable bloodshed, as the revolu
tionists continue boldly to organize
thlr fnrip cj thin of the border
without any apparent fear of Interrup
tion by the United Statea
M. M. Spauldlng, of American Dressed
Meat Company, has returned with hla
family from a two-montha' vtalt Cut.
David Robertson, who left for Santa
Barbara. Cal.. two weeks ago for his
health, died early yesterday morning.
His remains will bo brought to Port
land for burial.
Business Is rather slack at present
In the department of United Statea
Wrlgher and Guager John Mlnto. A
lot of Chinese medicine Is being over
hauled and a lot of Chinese tobacco
stamped.
One of the demands to be made by
a committee of Socialists on the Mayor
and Commissioners today Is that the
city commandeer all the food and fuel
now In storage by people they term
"speculators" and start a store. The
committee also favors municipal this
and municipal tha):. Of course the of
ficials will agree, while polntfng to the
difficulty of getting the money to do
all these things. The great difficulty
with Socialists Is that each Is not
worth from $100,000 up, so he could
do all this good himself; but If he had
that much he would not be a Socialibt.
TWO KINDS OF EDUCATION.
Professor W. A. Heldel, of Connecti
cut Wesleyan, hat contributed a new
thought to the discussion of tho value
of higher education and its proper
part in the general system or tne edu
cation of all the people.- This thought
is that consideration of the subject Is
Inseparable from the "larger question
regarding the requirements of educa
tion In a democracy as a whole" and
that these requirements are at least
dual In their nature. He makes a
striking presentation of the case for
higher education, without seeking to
controvert statements by others as to
the relatively small number of stu
dents who take advantage of Its op
portunities by comparison with the
number of those who go to school for
a few years In the lower grades and
then leave never to return. 1 A proposed campaign of wholesale
The dual educational needs of a slaughter of the English sparrow is
democracy, as Professor Heldel views supported by the statement that the
them, are both an educated electorate sparrow Is not English, but came
and thoroughly qualified leadership. It : originally from Germany. We shall
requires an "electorate intelligent and next hear London accuse Germany of
capable of discerning Its true Interests manufacturing its fogs and discharg-
and of discriminating between mens- ing them across the North Sea to
ures proposed by Its leaders," and this, plugue the hated English,
the professor remarks, requires one
The Health Commissioner of Chi
cago has suggested the boiled dinner
as the antidote for the high cost of
living. Whereat New York Jeers and
New England cheers. Of course the
boiled dinner Is revolting to the Jaded
or dyspeptic stomach of the New
Yorker, but It reaches tho spot of the
man In any clime whose appetite has
been whetted by hard work and fresh
air. Before a man can appreciate the
charms of a boiled dinner, he must
have acquired a liking for real work.
Fallacy of Modern Educators.
Alfred E. Stearns, In tho Atlantic.
In no other way, perhaps, than in
their advocacy of the pernicious doc
trine of individual Interest, have the
modernists more seriously undermined
sound scholarship, proper habits of
study and the development of virile,
rugged character. Of all the latest edu
cational nostrums that have been
foisted upon us, this la one of the worst.
Even a child can feel Its appeal; for
the pill Is thickly coated with sugar
and every child's "interest" . draws it
to sugar, even though a stomach-ache
or something; worse may result. Where,
pray, aro we to begin and where end
In this weighty responsibility of heed
ing and catering to the Interests of
youth? Was there over a normal boy
who did not successively show an "In
terest" In running a candy store. In
becoming a policeman, or a motorman.
or an engineer, or the captain of an
ocean liner? Can we conceive of a red
blooded youth to whom electricity and
machinery and qhemlcal experiments do
not bring their special appeal? Would
we regard a boy aa hstving ordinary
Intelligence who could not readily learn
to understand the mechanism of his
father's automobile? As a schoolmaster
I am only too well aware that fathers
with such normal sons see unmistak
able signs of budding genius In this
natural ability of youth; but as an
ordinary individual I am disposed to
class these deluded parents with those
whose sons have "never told a lie."
They lack perception.
KINDNESS TO ANIMALS.
If further evidence were required to
show that we are growing more hu
mane, it would be furnished by Inci
dents such as the recent sale of some
police horses In New York that had
worn out their usefulness. It Is a piti
ful circumstance, to be sure, that the
principal buyers at sales of this kind
are junkmen and others whose only
measure of the value of an animal
Is the last possible unit of strength
that can be extorted from him. But
It Is encouraging that on the other
hand there Is at each succeeding sale
an increasing number of persons actu
ated by higher motives.
The New York Sun records graph
ically some of the moving Incidents
of the affair. There came to the block
an animal which had seen twenty-nine
years of life more than twenty of
them in the faithful service of the
The auctioneer was a brusque
fellow, but he had his human side, too.
"You fellows keep your hands off,"
he said to the Junkmen. "There's a
bunch of ladles here wants to give him
a good home. Let them have him."
And the ladies got him, too, whether
the junk dealers kept their hands off
or not. This veteran will have a com
fortable home for the remainder or
his days. Green pastures in Summer,
a shelter in Winter: what more could
any horse desire?
This was not the only incident
kind of education. The same de
mocracy requires a still more high
ly educated body . of leaders and
this need calls for . another kind
of education. He believes these
needs to be co-ordinate, regardless of
whether one costs more than the other.
He draws an apt simile by suggesting
that no city Insists that its streets
shall be paved as cheaply as they are
lighted. The city simply recognizes
the necessity for both paving and
lighting, and If It Is a well-regulated
city It provides for both. So. Pro
fessor Heldel would educate tne Dooy
of the citizens for their duties and
provide for the still more advanced
education of those others upon whom
we depend for our leadership In Indus
trial, social and political affairs.
A good deal of unnecessary rancor
Is stirred up by the tendency on the
part of certain Individuals to assume
that "leadership" necessarily means
political leadership In Its most re
stricted sense. We hear a good deal
of discussion, based on false prem
ises, of the equality to which all men
are born. Our Insistence on democ
racy sometimes carries us to tho ex
tremes of insisting that all men, since
they are "born equal," ought to take
turns at the Job of leadership, regard
less of their talent or their preparation
for the task. That Is one of the rea
sons for the lack of coherence In so
many ephemeral "popular move
ments." However much we. -as proletarians,
may yearn to take our turn at leader
ship, we are in the fullest measure die-'
trustful of others w.ho are unfit. We
turn tn this situation inevitably to
someone whom we believe to be highly
qualified' for leading. We do not al
ways hit it right, but we are sincere.
After all, the time probafbly never will
come under any system, whether a
pure democracy or anything else, when
some will not lead and be recognized
as leaders. The only change likely to
take place Is in the quality of leader
ship we insist upon. Any ten men
who were ever cast up by tho sea on
a desert island will give voice to this
principle. Almost the first task to
which they address themselves is set
If anything were needed to show the
efficiency of Dr. Steiner. which It Is
not. it Is revealed In the prompt arrest
of a hospital attendant on the charge
of abusing a patient. Just people will
agree that discharge of the offender
is not sufficient punishment.
A million Chinese eggs have been
landed at Vancouver, B. C, and somo
of them are In Portland. A generation
or two ngo the funny man who as
sisted the grocer was prone to call
eggs "Shapghal berries," and was more
prophetic than humorous.
Just as the hens are beginning to
relieve the scarcity In eggs and reduce
the price, a snow storm comes along
to stop the laying. When a hen gets
cold feet she's all in. w
Canada cannot find a substitute for
the Northwest Mounted Police when
the organization Is transferred for
overseas military duty.
By producing a brayless mule,
France has raised hopes of a barkless
dog and a mewlcss cat, not to speak of
a howl-less coyote.
Doll Weevil SI III Unconqnered.
Thomas F. I.ogan In Leslie's.
Secretary Houston of the Department
of Agriculture has written a letter of
denial to a Southern farmer that any
means, secret or otherwise, of anni
hilating the boll weevil had been dis
covered. Its annual ravages cause a
loss of 400,000 bales of cotton in the
South. Appearing In this country In
the eastern counties of Texas In 1892,
from Its original habitat In Mexico. It
spread In concentric circles In subse
quent years until a foothold had been
gained in practically all of tho cfotton
growing states of tho South. Tho an
nual loss In Texas alone as a result of
the weevil's depredations Is placed at
$27,000,000. Every effort has been
made by the Department of Agriculture
to destroy the pest. It was thought at
one time that the Guatemalan ant was
lta irtitural enemy, and a supply of
these was Imported. Whether the boll
weevil turned on the Guatemalan ant
Is not clear. The fact remains that the
ant has disappeared, leaving the weevil
In control of tho field. Thus far, the
only successful means of control has
been the burning of dead cotton stalks
In the Fall, thereby destroying In large
measure the hibernating millions that
would develop Into active parasites
during the coming season.
THIS MAN RELIES ON DICTIONARY
That Compendium Quoted on Hoop
snakes and Horsehair Worms.
PORTLAND. Dec. 28. (To the Edi
tor.) One is led to believe, after read
ing tha letters on your editorial page,
that some of your readers are slightly
misinformed on the subject of snakes.
Perhaps they have neglected to look
Into the subject deeply enough before
asserting themselves so positively.
Our friend from Astoria who ex
pounded so freely on the wonders of
tho hoopsnake December 27 must have
been a child who was. to put It In the
vernacular, easily "kidded." He sol
emnly Informs us that he has never
aeen the reptile with hla own eyes, but
was told about It when a boy In Flor
ida by negroes who had seen It. He
follow y this with a narrative of a
marvelous adventure that a negro once
had with one.
But let us turn to the Century Dic
tionary, one of the best of authorities.
Here we find this definition:
Hoopsnake A snake fabled to take Its
tall in Its mouth and roll along Uks a
hoop: specifically. Alestor erythoKrammus.
a harmless species of the family Colubrldae
abundant In tne Southern united, states.
Such a violent contradiction to tho
assertion that It Is a dangerous reptile
must surely be sufficient to satisfy the
mof t credulous.
But to return to the original ques
tlon, that of whether horsehairs turn
Into snakes when put Into water
Imagine anyone In this day and age of
enlightenment believing such arrant
nonsense aa thla! But It does seem
that some such do, exist. For their
benefit let us again' turn to the sam
authority as used before. From "horse
hair-worm" (obviously from evidence
which follows. Identical with "horse
halr-snnke ) we are referred to gor-
dius." Under this latter subject Is to
bo found this definition:
Gordius (from the Latin Gordlus. mean
Ins; the Gordlar. knot. In allusion to the
complex knots Into which these animals
twist themselves) The typical renut of
threadworms or hatreds. A common species
Is called G. aquatlcus. These creatures
are so slender that they are popularly sup
posed to be animated horsehairs, or to be
produced fram horsehairs which fall Into
the water.
"Wonderful facts of nature." bosh!
Nature never performs miracles. All
such seeming miracles have a logic
behind them which Is to be found If
the subject be searched deeply enough.
But as to horsehairs changing to
snakes may the Lord preserve us
from such 14th centurv beliefs.
W'lLLIS F. LATHROP.
395 Jackson street.
SNAKE USES RAILWAY
SIGNALS
Staying in bed to keep warm, as
they are doing In Dillon, Mont, has its
advantages, provided the cook stays
up.
Other horses were similarly soared
Some of the buyers were compelled tlement of the question of leadership
to bid for them more than they were i and the qualified man seldom has
actually worth, foe the muscle power I much trouble, go long as the common
A woman who puts on one coat of
paint and three coats of powder is
guilty of fraudulent advertising.
Time enough to Introduce the metric
system when all who learned the other
way are dead.
Jackrabbits are arriving on the mar
ket for change of diet of people who
eat carp.
Location of a loan bank has no 6on
nectlon with the vote last month, of
course.
White hosiery fits Into
color scheme Just now.
the locnl
Wilson was 60 yesterday, and he's
going like that,
Ice Skating Landed.
Cincinnati Times-Star.
An attempt Is being made this Win
ter in many cities to establish Ice
skating as the popular fad of tho mo
ment There Is no out-of-door sport more
healthy, more exhilarating and more
capable of restoring the spirit Of youth
than a spin upon the sharp and narrow
blade. Nor is anything more calcu
lated to thrill the body with a sense of
delicious rhythm, a sense of speed and
poise.
Skating is one of the most vener
able pastimes known. Bones tied un
der the feet have been used sines
history was recorded. Metal runners
are said to have come Into use about
the third century after Christ. The
Norsemen and the Dutch took It up
eagerly, and In tho twelfth century
skating was a popular pastime in Eng
land. The sport was Introduced Into
America by the European colonists. It
has since flourished and languished at
varying intervale. Its present return
may be only a flitting revival. The
suort. however, is deserving of a
higher and more permanent respect
than Is usually given to a fad. There
are few pastimes which can compare
With it-
Mothers Pension Laws.
PORTLAND, Dec. 28. (To the Edl
tor.) Please tell me where I may find
information about widows' pension
bills. I should like material regarding
this bl'.l and its results, not only In
Oregon, but In those other atates which
have similar laws. as1. 1 1 t-ii.
Have you tried tho reference depart
ment of the Public Library T
Additional Wonders of Nature Told by
Veracious Writer.
PORTLAND, Dec. 28. (To the Ed
itor.) I have been reading with Inter
est letters In The Oregonlan regarding
horsehair snakes, artel note that C. W.
Burgess brings up the subject of Joint
snakes.
Now we all lave heard that until the
dry law went Into effect In January of
this year there were "Joint" snakes In
Oregon, but the dry edict did for Ore
gon what St. Patrick did for Ireland
abolished all Joint snakes. Hence the
coming generation may never aee this
natural phenomenon.
However, one haa no need to be skep
tical about the existence of joint
snakes. I have it on high authority, no
less than W. P. Kenney, vice-president
of the Great Northern Railway, that he
was told by R. K. Pretty, the local rep
resentative of tho samo railroad, that
he saw a man In Texas who told him
that Joint snake? did In fact exist, and
that when struck broke generally Into
two pieces: that tho snake always kept
Its mouth wide open when In this con
dition, displaying thereby a red signal
protecting the head end. When all dan
ger had passed the snake hissed three
times, the head section backs up and
couples on to the rear section, then
giving two short hisses, pulls ahead.
Of course, this piece of natural his
tory was recounted by a railway man,
which may account for tho railway
flavor of lta telling, but Mr. Kenney
statea he haa no doubts as to the facts,
coming to him aa they did.
READER.
REASONING IS THAT OK PARANOIAC
If Law Were Enllahtened McCall Would
Go to Asylum fur Life.
PORTLAND. Dec 28. (To the Edi
tor.) Tho Oregonlan'a suggestion that
the murderer of Shatter la Irrational, If
not Insane, is very much to the point.
A man who takes his 7-year-old child
with him to see him commit a premedi
tated murder la clearly off hla balanoo,
especially when the motive Is revenge
tor petty Ineuits or Irritations.
The constitution of Oregon prescribes
that punishment for crime shall be in
flicted with a view toward reformation,
and not according to the principles of
vindictive Justice. Vindictive Juatloe!
Surely an Irishman coined that terra,
for If there la suoh a thing aa justice,
how can it Include a vindictive spirit?
However, there it la In tha conatltu
tion, and starting from that basis it
is only logical to provide that an in
sane man who Is not responsible for
his acts should find a complete defense
from "vindictive Justice" because of In
sanity. That completes the vicious
circle, though as The Oregonlan says,
"acquittal on nny auch ground la itself
a crime against society."
How would it do to start out with
the theory that all criminals should
be treated In such a manner aa would
best protect society? If men who are
abnormal commit crimes, why not place
them In permanent detention? Why
should an abnormal or Irresponsible of
fender ever bo "pardoned"? Pardoned
for what? For his abnormality or for
his crime?
"McCall had the notion that It la no
crime to slay anyone who deserves If
Certainly, that's the Idea of tho para
noiac; he la anything from the Deity to
the avenger of Injured Innocence. That
Is "typical of that form of Insanity.
Where did ho get that Idea? Obvloualy
he got It bcoause his brain Is In an ab
normal condition; he Is Insane and he
reasons insanely, and not as a respon
sible member of a social body. Would
a sane man arffue that his little child
would bo benefited throuerh seeing his
father commit murder? Evidently not.
Why should the taxpayers have to
contribute thousands of dollars, or even
hundreds, to try a man for murder In
the criminal courts when It la reason
ably certain that he will be acquitted
on the ground of Insanity? The only
answer Is: "Because It Is the custom."
In a case like this why shouldn't the
murderer be committed directly to tho
State Hospital for the Insane for life?
Of course. It hap never been done that
way. but It would bo very simple to
secure a law p.-rmitting such a dispo
sition of Insane criminals, and such a
plan would eliminate the question of
pardon.
There is only one serious objection to
the idea, and that Is that 1t would elim
inate some of the lawyers, and as tho
lawyers control the Legislature, gener
ally In numbers and practically always
In skill and Intelligence, the chances
of any change are slender. "
GEORGE A- THACHER
A Jsunt.
Behold the mantle of beautiful snow.
Covering housetop and earth below:
Look from your window, anear. afar.
One vaat white blanket, with aught to
mar;
Put on a warm frock and hie far away;
Let nothing daunt, tread tho snowy
highway;
F'U up an hour with unalloyed bliss.
Let heal h-giving air your face freely
kiss:
Laugh w.th the children along on your
route.
See the bright faces, hoar their glad
shout
Blithe you will feel ere you take your
way back.
And a Johnny-bread appetite won't be
your lack. .
A. H. O.
i of Properly.
PORTLAND. Dec. 27. (To tho Edi
tor.) A Is a widower living on his
farm In Oregon. A makes a will prior
to leasing his farm to his son-tn-law,
B. A makea a lease without a death
clause In it. B aitrees to board and
room A for rent of farm If A does not
get the best of care, then A has a right
to leave his board and room. If he
does. B agrees to pay A $300 per an
num. A stays, but dies. Can B still
hold this lease by paylnfr the adminis
trator this $300 per annum? Does thla
lease hold over the will?
R. MANNLNO.
If for and during tho life of A the
lease terminates on his death. If for
a specific number of years, and there
are no qualifying provisions, it would
remain In force until the end of that
period. If no term whatever Is Indi
cated it would probably bo construed
as a lease from year to year, and It
would terminate In the year A dies.
A PRAYER FOR PEACE.
God of our ancient fathers,
God of the countless years.
Our God. the Lord Eternal.
We pray to you In tears.
We see the sad New Tear
With half the world In grief.
Wilt thou. O mighty God,
Not give the world relief?
On the far flung battle fronts.
The flags of the nations fly;
Amid the smoke and shells.
The men of the nations die.
Stretch forth thy mighty hand.
Make known thy mighty will.
Let them not transgress
Thy law, "Thou shall not kill."
DARKELL MILTON.
None Is Required.
MARSHFIEI.D. Or.. Dec. 26. (To the
Editor.) Please Inform me whether
after January 1 next It will be nocea
sary for a man to have a physician's
certificate . of health to. obtain a mar
riage license In the state of Waahlns;
ton. SUBSCRIBER.