THE MORNING OREGONIAN, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1920
8
ESTABUSHKD BY HKNRY I- PITTOCK.
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t"! BOOT STATES TUB ISSUES.
: Elihu Root has put first among; thej
J;,' Issues of the campaign President
I Wilson's assumption of autocratic
! power, the democratic party's sup-
i port of him in so doing and the duty
; of the republican party to decen-
! tralize the executive powers in recog-
;;; nition of "the necessity that we shall
restore our republican form of gov-
eminent with the liberty of the ln-
dividual citizen preserved by limita-
;:; tions upon official power and put an
!" end to the dictatorship which we cre-
ated in order to carry on the war.
.', This is the great question to be
I ! fought out in the campaign, for out
of the evil to which Mr. Root points
have grown the others for which, he
tells us, the republican party must
vi find remedies. He placed next In
S Importance ratification of the treaty
! ! with senate amendments long before
j the presidential election. But for
the autocratic power exercised by the
president, no occasion would have
arisen for discussion of the treaty
In this connection. As Mr. Root
says, the president's practical die
;j tatorship was "created In order to
carry on the war." It should have
' ended when hostilities ceased, - and
Mr. Wilson should have called con-
gress to full exercise of its constitu-
tional powers. If he had done so, he
would have called the senate to ad
vise him and act with him In making
S' peace, as the constitution requires,
'j and he would then have assured in
advance its consent to the completed
. treaty. Just as McKinley assured rat
lfication of the treaty with Spain. By
J setting at naught the constitutional
; part which the senate should have in
making treaties, the president drove
t the senate to assert its powers. He
thus involved a question of constitu
J tional prerogative with that of ratifl
J cation, and caused the republican
senators to Insist on points which
mfght otherwise have been deemed
unimportant.
1 The deadlock on the treaty is not
J due to differences of opinion between
president and senate on its terms, for
' they have been reduced to mere mat
I ters of phraseology, but to the pres
'. Ident's autocratic determination that
he shall have undivided authority
J over foreign affairs and to the sen-
ate's equal firmness in exercising Its
co-ordinate power. As both Mr. Root
J and Lord Grey point out, after th
i treaty is ratified and the league or
; ganized, the ..'ay will be open for re
; form of the covenant, and Mr. Root
; definitely proposes this reform aftei
' Inauguration of a republican presi-
dent. Their opinion corroborates
;. that which The Oregonian long ago
; expressed, that organization of the
i league should be undertaken after
; conclusion of peace. The fact thai
the senate defends a vital principle of
the constitution causes it to stand
-,' firm. If delay of ratification should
make the treaty a campaign issue,
discussion will deal more with the
president's assumption of autocratic
power than with the reservations
ZZZ. themselves.
The proposals for governmental
economy, for a budget system and fof
revision of the taxation system deal
with abuses which are the out
growth of the president's exercise
of autocratic power. Extravagance
of the government has grown each
year, and Is the Inevitable fruit of
irresponsibility of the spending de
partments to congress, which pro
vides the money. For this, tame sur
render of their legislative functions
r- to executive dictation by three suc
1 cessive democratic congresses is re-
- sponsible. There Is no hope of econ
; omy on the part of an executive who
, lias only to ask in order to receive.
The constitution gives to congress the
power of the purse, and the best se-
curity for economy is that this power
i shall be undiminished and that con--;
press shttll assure Itself that appropri
t ations ure-expended for the purposes
J .for which they are made and that
they are not exceeded,
t - The same rigid partisanship which
J '"led a democratic congress to obey
1 the dictates of the president caused
imposition of taxes on a lavish scale,
with a deliberate purpose to make
" heavy exactions from the north and
west and to bear lightly on the dem
ocratic south. War taxes are levied
with such disregard to sound eco
nomic principles in an effort to dis
criminate against the rich that the
price of everything that the poor
consume is enhanced, that produc
tion and expansion of industry are
checked and that investment is dis-
" couraged. The high cost of living
can be traced largely to high taxes,
high taxes to governmental extrava-
gance, and this to the autocratic
' power which tame democratic con
1 presses have yielded to the executive
I The remedy is to "restore our repub-
lican form of government" in fact.
Extension of the strike evil until
It threatened to paralyze great lndus-
tries and still threatens to stop all
railroad transportation and has been
seized by revolutionists as a means
to overturn the government springs
from the same source partisan
greed of power, which ultimately be
comes vested in one man. This greed
led president and congress to yield
to the threat of a railroad strike in
1916 In order to win political sup
port of the potential strikers. It en
couraged the sleelworkers to strike
tinder the lead of revolutionary direct
axtionlsts. It caused the coal miners
to attempt stoppage of the fuel sup
ply. It now causes railroad men to
renew their strike threat in order to
coerce congress to legislate as they
demand. The remedy is, as Mr.
Root says, "limitation of the right to
strike at a point where it conflicts
with self-preservation of the com
munity."
In order to enlist political support
without regard to consequences to
the republic, the administration has
filled public offices with "bolshevikl
and bolsheviki sympathizers" who
thwart its belated efforts to crush
revolutionary conspiracy. When new
laws against sedition are proposed.
these same sedition-mongers, am
bushed In the offices of the govern
ment which they would destroy,
raise a great outcry about infringe
ment of the rights of free speech and
free press which they abuse. There
is indeed need of Americanizing the
alien population, but most of all we
need to Americanize the government
itself by purging it of those who
destroy it from within.
There Is a certain irony In the
fact that democracy has learned so
well the lessons of pacifism which
the president instilled that, when the
experience of the war has convinced
him of the necessity of universal
training, his party refuses to unlearn
them. It continues to follow only
when he persists in error; when he
turns from error, It refuses to follow.
Thus it is that the nation must look
to the republican party for those
measures of defense which alone can
make it safe.
PEACEFUL. PICKETING.
Prior to enactment of a law by the
1919 legislature the boycott was
illegal in Oregon. True, it was not a
crime under the statutes, but the
supreme court had held that the boy
cott was wrongful per se, and was
subject to restraint by injunction.
The 1919 law attempted to legalize
the boycott when conducted by
peaceful or lawful means. Now the
idea of the various labor organiza
tions and that of the lower court
as to what are peaceful or lawful
means do not coincide. The contro
versy will go to the supreme court.
One circuit Judge, we think, has
expressed the opinion that peaceful
picketing is impossible. The major
ity of the Multnomah circuit judges
have held that the peacefulness of
the means must be determined from
the particular acts. A still later rul
lng by Judge McCourt seems to hold
that picketing in concert or by urg
ing by word of mouth prospective
customers not to patronize a boy
cotted place of business is not peace
ful. A lone picket wearing a sash
bearing the words "Unfair to Organ
ized Labor" may be stationed in
front of the place of business, but
that is all.
If the supreme court sustains the
ruling of the Multnomah circuit
court much of the apprehension by
employers as to the radical char
acter of the new law will be allayed.
Pickets furthering the cause of a
strike will have virtually no more
liberty of action than they had under
the law that was formerly In force.
That law prohibited the use of force.
threats, or intimidation to prevent or
endeavor to prevent any person em
ployed by another from continuing or
performing his work, or from accept
ing any new work or employment.
As already said, the boycott was not
made a statutory crime, but the
same section of the code made it a
misdemeanor to circulate false writ
ten or printed material In further
ance of a boycott. It will be recalled
that "peaceful" picketing was 'fre
quently conducted before the passage
of the 1919 law. That is to say, men
carrying banners proclaiming a place
unfair to organized labor would
parade in front of that place. Vocal
declarations to prospective customers
and passersby came in largely with
the enactment of the later law.
It is not surprising to find courts
scrutinizing with care a statute, which
seemingly attempts to legalize that
which the courts have already de
clared wrongful and construing it as
closely as possible to the public
interest.
ECONOMIC DISEASE DIAGNOSED.
In its financial and commercial re
view for the year 1919 the London
Times attributes the present eco
nomic troubles in Europe to short
age of goods and surplus of paper
money, while expenditures of eacn
nation still exceed income. The true
effect of this condition was concealed
till war measures for stabilizing ex
change were abandoned. Then it be
came known that "the bloated figures
of trade and wealth were not in a
measure prosperity at all, but In a
way an indication of the world's pov
erty. The Times finds in the latter
half of the year "a growing con
sciousness of the need to get back to
saner economic basis, to restrict
public and private expenditure, to
obtain an increased production and
to stop the manufacture of money as
a means of making good a deficiency
in wealth production."
The part of the united States In
producing and remedying this situa
tion is told by Thomas W. Lamont
of New York. He says that from
the beginning of the war to the end
of 1918 the United States naa
amassed a balance on trade of ll,-
530.000.000 and that in 1919 the
government has lent a further J2,
000.000,000 to foreign nations. In
the last half of the year these loans
practically ceased and borrowing for
the purpose of stabilizing exchange
stopped, yet America continued to
pile up a huge trade balance. In the
first ten months of 1919 our exports
to Europe were $4,265,000,000, while
mports from Europe were J543.000,-
000, a balance of $3,722,000,000 in
our favor. ,
The need of financing Europe s
trade Is fully realized In this coun
try, but Mr- Lamont says that the.
American investment market is not
favorable to foreign securities, owing
to heavy individual income taxes,
which cut down the return to wealthy
buvers. and "the investing power of
the small buyer cannot be sufficiently
mobilized to float large European
loans if large investors stay out of
the market." He reasserts the oft
stated truth that "Investment funds
must ultimately come from the na
tional savings" and says:
Tour leaders speak of extravagance in
Europe. America also confesses the same
inn. America cannot help Europe, and
Europe cannot help herself, unless habits
of work and thrift are clung to through
the difficult days of reconstruction as well
as through the hard days of war. Un
less America works and saves so as to
lend to Europe, unless Europe works and
saves so as to help herself, all plans for
tha restoration of Europe are in vain.
In this connection he reminds the
allies that "both Great Britain and
France are making heavy expendi
tures overseas for purposes of cap
turing new markets and of obtaining
large Interests in foreign enterprises"
and he gives this hint
The sentimental appeal to American In
vestors and to American people generally
to lend to Europe and so endeavor to
correct the adverse trade exchanges is
very much weakened by any such situation.
The conclusion from Mr, Lamont'a
reasoning is that the Incentive to
thrift by the individual American is
no less strong now than when it
was fortified by the motive of pa
triotism during the war. The way
out of the present troubles for each
individual as well as for governments
and big business institutions is to
work more and spend less in order
to save something for the work of
reconstruction and for readjustment
of trade balances. Those savings can
be Invested at higher interest by the
small investor than ever before. As
years pass, taxes will decrease and
the net return will Increase; also the
securities will appreciate in value as
governments become more solvent
and as business concerns grow pros
perous. While securing the Investor
against poverty, these Investments
will help to restore healthy trade
conditions between this country and
Europe.
THE GOVERNMENTAL CRAZY QTJH.T.
Reference to reorganization of the
government by , Governor Lowden
and Herbert Hoover is a healthy sign
of public Interest in a subject to
which little attention has been given,
though it is intimately connected
with that economy which appeals to
every man when he prepares his in
come tax report. The government Is
a crazy quilt, in which bureaus and
divisions have been attached to de
partments without regard to their
proper functions. A degree of red
tape and formality surrounds the re
lations of the various bureaus to each
other which obstructs and adds to
the cost of public business.
The treasury department is a fair
example. It properly collects cus
toms and internal revenue, makes
disbursements and administers the
public debt. It should control the
bureau of engraving and printing,
which manufactures paper currency,
and the mint, which makes coin. The
comptroller of the currency and the
federal reserve board naturally
come under its jurisdiction, as will
the budget bureau whenever it i
created. But the federal farm loan
boaVd could just as fitly be attached
to the agricultural as to the treasury
department, seed grain loans could
better be so, and the war risk bureau
and soldiers' and sailors' relief be-
lone to the pension bureau. There
is absolutely no connection between
supervision of the government
finances and public buildings, public
health, the coast guard, anchorage
ontrol and the Panama canal. Some
of them may originally have bnen
thrown into the treasury department
on the theory that its head had not
enough to do, but that theory is long
since exploded, add these side issues
probably get only cursory attention.
The same situation exists in other
departments. Rivers and harbors
and incidentally water-power dar?s
on navigable streams are under the
secretary of war, though they have
only an Indirect connection with the
army. No less than six bureaus in
different departments have a part in
the government of Alaska, and Sec
retary Lane has exposed the absurd
ity of the situation by telling that
brown bears are under the care of
one bureau and black bears ol
another.
In such a haphazard arrangement
there is endless room for lost mo
tion, overlapping, sinecures and
waste of money. If such a merciless
economist like the late J. J. Hill
were given the job of reorganiza
tion with unlimited power, he would
root out the chair-warmers from ev
ery corner and would save so many
millions that the patronage-brokers
would weep. We dare not hope tor
a clean sweep, but we should have a
president who will make a good be
ginning.
HOTOGBAPHING THE MOON.
Professor Robert H. Goddard's in
vention of a reloading rocket with
velocity high enough to carry it be
yond the sphere of the earth's gravi
tational influence, by means of
which he hopes to obtain new and
valuable photographs of the space
above our atmosphere, and Rear Ad
miral Sims' belief that such a rocket,
if successfully launched, would reach
the moon, recalls the interesting
theory propounded by Jules Verne In
his highly Imaginative tale, "From
the Earth to the Moon." The paral
lel Is all the more Interesting in view
of realization of the forecasts that
Verne made in his fanciful "Eighty
Days Around the World" and In
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under
the Sea."
It Is but fair to add," wrote Verne,
that these Yankees, brave as they
have ever proved themselves to be,
did not confine themselves to the
ories and formulae, but that they
paid heavily for their inventions," a
point that Professor Goddard no
doubt would be willing to turn to ac
count in connection with his appeal
for a fund to be used for preliminary
exploration of the atmosphere by the
method he has devised. The issue or
funds was settled easily enough by
Verne's heroes. It will be remem
bered by Verne readers that there
was an important meeting of the Gun
club at which this matter was set
tled out of hand. The club's scien
tists had shown that In order to keep
the proposed projectile within pre
scribed weight it would be necessary
to construct it of aluminum.
Bat, my dear president," said the
major, "Is not the price ol aluminum ex
tremely high 7"
"ft was so at Its first discovery, but It
has fallen now to 9 the pound."
"But still. $9 the pound!" replied the
major, who was not willing readily to
give In. "Even that Is an enormous
price."
"Undoubtedly, my dear major, bat not
beyond our reach."
"What will the projectlla weigh, then?"
asked Morgan.
"Here is the result of my calculations,"
replied Barblcane. "A shot of 108 Inches
In diameter, and twelve inches In thickness
would weigh, in cast Iron. 67,440 pounds;
cast In aluminum Its weight would be re
duced to 19,250 pounds."
"Capital!" cried the major; "bat do
you know that at 19 the pound the pro
jectile will cost
"One hundred and seventy-three thous
and and fifty dollars I know It quite
well. But fear not, my friends, the money
will not be wanting for our enterprise. I
will answer for it. Now what say yoa to
aluminum, gentlemen?"
"Adopted." replied the three members
of the committee. So ended the first meet
lng. v Th question of the projectile was
definitely settled.
Verne was a romancer, not a scien
tist, but he laid his ground plans
with care. He gave mathematically
sound reasons for supposing that a
projectile could be transmitted to the
moon. He calculated that it would
be necessary only to propel the mis-
slle to the point where the attraction
exactly counterpoised that of the
earth. At forty-seven fifty-seconds
of the distance between the earth
and the moon, he estimated, the mis
sile would have no weight whatever,
"and if It passes that point it will
fall into the moon by the sole effect
of lunar attraction." Providing for
an initial velocity of 12.000 yards
second and allowing for decreasing
velocity, he arrived at 300,000 sec
onds as the time required to reach
the point where the attraction of the
earth and moon would be in equi
librio. From this point it would fall
Into the moon in 60,000 seconds,
from which he deduced that it would
be desirable to discharge the projec
tile 97 hours, 13 minutes, 20 seconds
before the arrival of the moon at
the point aimed at
Sir Frank Dyson, the British as
tronomer who now disputes the the
ory of Professor Pickering of Har
vard that there is vegetation on the
moon's surface, might without much
violence to the unity of Verne's tale
have been one of the strange party
that so nearly reached the moon and
so gravely debated the possibility
that life existed there. "Everywhere
and always the geological works of
nature, never the work of man."
There remained one hypothesis, "that
of a living race to which motion,
which is life, is foreign." The more
recent colloidal theory- which grants
motion even to infinitesimal par
ticles of inorganic matter seems to
have been anticipated by the French
man. "One might as well say liv
ing creatures which do not live.
suggests Michel. "Just so," asserts
Barblcane. "which for us has no
meaning." Verne had a trick of
topical humor that he exhibited in
such parodies on the prevalent ten
dency to abstruse speculation and
again when -he travestied the pessi
mists who are always worrying over
the vague calamities of an indefinite
future. His adventurers, concluding
that the moon onde had been inhab
ited, turned to wondering when
earth, too, would no longer harbor
life. "When the cooling of its
crust shall have made it uninhabit
able." answers - Barbicane. Michel
"boils with impatience" for a more
definite answer. The tale proceeds:
"We know what diminution of temper
ature the earth undergoes in a century.
And according to certain calculations, thit
mean temperature will, after a period of
400,000 years, be brought down to zero!"
"Four hundred thousand years!" ex
claimed Michel. "Ah ! I . breathe again.
Really, I was frightened to hear you. 1
imagined that we had not more than
60.000 years to live."
Verne did not originate the idea
of a trip to the moon. As he him
self has pointed out, a certain David
Fabricus boasted in the seventeenth
century of having seen with his own
eyes the inhabitants of the moon.
Jean Baudoin, a Frenchman, pub
lished in 1649 a "Journey Performed
from the Earth to the Moon by
Domingo Gonzales," a Spanish ad
venturer. Cyrano de Bergerac pub
lished "Journeys In the Moon" In
1649 or 1650, suggested by the Eng
lish Goodwin's "Man in the Moon,"
and Wilkins' "Discovery of a New
World," written in 1638. Fontan
elle's "The Plurality of Worlds," was
a sensation in its time. "The
Strange Adventure of Hans von
Pfaal," who launched himself in a
balloon filled with nitrogen gas for
the Journey to the moon, a famous
moon story by Edgar Allen Poe,
probably furnished Verne 'with his
immediate inspiration.
Recent discussion of methods to
make ourselves understood by Mar
tians, or others, reveal a suggestive
parallel with the suggestion of a
German geometrician - of - half ' a
century ago who proposed to draw
on Che steppes of Siberia in enor
mous, luminous characters, the prob
lem of Euclid known to 'students
as the "Ass's Bridge." "Every in
telligent being," said the German,
with Teutonic assurance, "must know
the scientific meaning of that figure. '
It is not surprising, therefore,
that Professor -Goddard's idea of im
proving on the Big Bertha with the
end in view of exploring the region
beyond our atmosphere, if not the
moon itself, should now be received
with especial Interest In France.
Verne combined a predilection tor
science with a lively fancy; his coun
trymen show that their science may
be tempered with imagination. Mean
while, no doubt. Professor Goddard
is wishing that he could solve tne
financial phase of the problem as
easily as Verne was able to do.
Apparently Senator Sherman does
not believe the man in ordinary cir
cumstances should ride in his own
ear. and blames Henry Ford lor
prevalence of what the senator calls
nest." xet he must aamn it is
a fine machine to learn with, and,
if he knows, will also admit the own
er soon graduates into something
more costly, if not to say better.
Jack Dempsey is quoted as saying
he'd just as lief fight for one cent
as for $1,000,000. No doubt that's
why he is so anxious to boost the
purse to $500,000, a compromise be
tween the two.
Senator Sherman declares the Ford
automobile is an international pest.
It Is Indeed to some men of Fierce
Arrow fortunes who want all the
roadway to themselves.
Report of a prairie fire sixty miles-
wide sweeping Argentina recalls old
days of the "Great American Desert,
when such affairs were too common
to be news items.
A Chicago judge rules that what a
man says in his sleep cannot be used
as testimony, but the man with that
habit should be wise to sleeping
alone.
Judge McCourt has ruled that
women strike pickets must keep
silent Really, this is too much to
ask of any woman, picket or not
When you read that Germany will
prosecute Its own officers for war
crimes; just remember Germany has
her fingers crossed.
A sharp rise in canned goods is
predicted for the coming summer.
This should be encouraging to ex
cabinet members.
That taxes are higher is to be ex
pected. That they haven t doubled
in the general trend is matter of
congratulation.
Some of the testimony In a current
divorce case goes a mile beyond
movie close-ups In the matter of
osculation.
It's a wise director who dodges a
school board meeting in these parlous
times of near-politics.
Another holiday stretch starts this
noon for many.
SPECnrEJT "OLD-TIME PLATFORM"
Log-leal CoBclnsion From Mr. Mar
ball's KeeeBtlr Fxsrrssrc Desire.
POR'TLAKD, Feb. 20. (To the Edi
tor:) Vice-President Marshall has
a ; JeTegateUlaVVto the national Ten,:
ocralic convention upon an "old-time
democratic platform." He should be
encouraged.
The revamping of one of those oli
platforms, or a composite platform
made up of a selection of the most
distinctive planks of a number of
them, would add greatly to the inter
est of the coming campaign.
We mltrht begin with the fierce de
mand of the platform of 1856 for the
vigorous enforcement of the fugitive
slave law, and its declaration that
"congress has no power under the
constitution to Interfere with or con
trol the domestic institutions of the
several states," and "that all efforts
of the abolitionists or others made to
induce congress to Interfere with
questions of slavery or to take Incipi
ent steps in relation thereto are cal
culated to lead to the most alarming
and dangerous consequences."
Plank No. 2 would embody the vig
orous demand of the platform of 1860
for additional safeguards to prevent
the abolition of slavery.
Plank No. t would repeat the decla
rations of the platform of 1864 that
the war to restore the union was a
failure, and denounce Lincoln's "ad
ministrative usurpation of extraordi
nary and dangerous powers not grant
ed by the constitution," his "subver
sion of the civil by the military law,"
his "suppression of ffeedom of speech
and of the press," his "open and
avowed disregard of states' rights,"
and his "interference with and denial
of the rights of the people to bear
arms In their defense."
Plank No. 4 would repeat from the
platform of 1868 its denunciation of
the republican party, declaring that
"its corruption and extravagance have
exceeded anything known in history;
and by its frauds and monopolies it
has nearly doubled tne burden of the
debt created by the war. Under Its
repeated assaults the pillars of the
government are rocking at their bases;
and should it succeed in November
next, and inaugurate its president, we
will meet, as a subjected and con
quered people, amid the ruins of lib
erty and the scattered fragments of
the constitution.
In 1872 the democratics surrendered
to Horace Greeley and Gratz Brown
and indorsed their platform bodily.
Aa thev have now practically con-
1-ceded that no democrat can be elected
in this campaign, plank .No. 0 in Vice-
President Marshall's platform, laneii
from Greeley's in 1872, would apply
beautifully. It reads: "Recognizing
that there are In our midst honest
and irreconcilable differences of opin
Ion with retrard to the respective sys
terns of protection and free trade, we
remit the discussion of the subject
to the people in their congressional
districts, and the decision of congress
thereon, wholly free from executive
Interference or dictation woourow,
however, would demand the ellmina
Mnn f thn last c:1a.use.
Plank No. 6, from the platform of
17 wmiirl read as fellows: "We
rinniinr- tha resumption of 1875'
(providing for resumption of specie
payment) "and we here demand its
Fnnfll."
Plank No. 7 will appeal strongly to
every voter having a sense of humor.
It is from the platform of 1892 and
reads as follows: "The democratic
party is the only party that has ever
given the country a foreign policy
consistent and vigorous, compelling
respect abroad and inspiring conn
dence at home."
tjikt.1t No. 8 should embody two dec-
lar-afinna from the platform of 1896.
These are, first, "we demand the free
and unlimited coinage of both gold
and silver at the present legal ratio
of 16 to 1 without waiting for the aid
nr r-onaent of any other nation," and.
second, "we dciare it io me un
written law of this republic, estab
lished by usage and custom of 100
years ana sanctioncu u?
of the greatest and wisest of those
who founded and have maintained our
government, that no man
eligible for a inira rm m
J ,1.1 n,fll,
If Mr. Marsnau win
these planks in his "old-time demo-
rratie olatform," and wind up witn
. wn,n ripnunciatlon of the out
rageously damnable attempt of Sec
retary Lansing to usuip ....c
.i i .ic-hta nt the oresident, "guar
anteed by the constitution." it will
J r.nr.iHra.hlv to the entertainment
of visitors at the coming convention
c frinrian. and probably pre
clude the painful necessity of making
any reference to ine owui. -,..j.w
, madi. of everything be
has had anything to do with during
the past seven years.
tne past CHAS. B. MOORES.
JUST WEEDS.
Emblematic of despair .
Ragged weeds grow everywhere.
Trampled o'er and trodden down;
a. Ill T,oreiatant- living on.
Crowded, stunted, starved are they
Only weeds; they're in me way.
Mongst these weeds perchance there
be
Plants of wondrous rarity.
Yet we're prone to pass them by
With indifferent, scornful eye.
Brief their lives, they fade away
Only weeds; and in the way.
Men, like weeds, are often seen.,
Lost to all that might have been.
Creatures of environment.
Stifled their development
Loveless, friendless, sad and lone;
Men whose hearts have turned to
stone.
Hope and faith within them dead
Men whose self-respect has fled.
Deaf to music's subtle lore.
Blind to beauty, clean and pure.
Livlng sepulchers are they.
Just like weeds, they're in the way.
Perchance they once did catch the
gleam
Of ideals' iridescent dream.
Perchance they thrilled to martial air;
Perchance they gazed on beauty rare.
Now forlorn,' they're old and gray
Only weeds-nd in theway.
Law om FlaK Design.
PORTLAND, Feb. 20. (To the Edi
tor.) Among long-cherished treas
ures I find an old envelope with this
printed thereon: A blue sea with the
world bobbing around in it, and this
surmounted by the U. S. flag:. In the
flag are 34 stars and 12 stripes. On
the "world" appear the words "Our
Country," and beneath the design, 'Its
Constitutions and Its Laws."
It was in 1861, I believe, that Kan
sas, the 3h state, was admitted to
the Union. Was the custom then ob
served to add a star to the flag as
each new state came In? I thought
not. so far back. And are the 12
stripes en regie? Any further Infor
mation of this old envelope, its use
or derivation. wUlb. PPated.
The present law governing the de
sign of the flag has been in effect
since April 4. i81S. It provides for
1J stripes and a star for every Btate
In the union, each new star to be
added on the July 4th following the
state's admission. Kansas was a
mitted as a state in January, 186L
Dncrst el Property.
PORTLAND. Feb. 20. (To the Ed-
ltor) if a husband dies without a
will and there are no children, does
widow get all of his property, or ca
hi, relatives clairrnyy t?
The widow gets alL i
Those Who Come and Go.
To mark 200,000 bluebacks at the
Herman creek pond of the Bonne
ville hatchery, Dr. W. H. Rich of
Stanford university, arrived in Port
land yesterday. Dr. Rich Is one of
the chief authorities on the blueback
salmon. The markings on the 200,000
fisb will be the removal of the adipose
and ventral fine, the same markings
as placed on 60,000 bluebacks in 1916.
Those fish returned in 1918 and a few
straggled back last year. The blue
back is a lake fish and before the
lakes in the Takima country were
devoted to irrigation purposes, the
bluebacks spawned there by the mil
lions. Bluebacks go from the eea up
the Columbia and Into the Snake and
get Into the lakes In the Saw Tooth
mountains In central Idaho, hundreds
and hundreds of miles from the Pa
cific ocean. With the stoppage of the
natural outlets of the lakes in Wash
ington Oregon and Idaho, the runs
of bluebacks are not as large as they
were in former times, nor are the fish,
on the average, as heavy. In mark
ing fish, Dr. Rich has trimmed as
many as 2000 a day.
"Did you know there Is an opal
mine In Oregon?" Inquired William
Crofton, sitting in his accustomed
chair in the Imperial lobby. "When
I was buying sheep 26 years ago, I
was In the Deschutes, near the Hay
creek ranch. With another rider, we
passed a cliff which my companion
said was an opal mine. Falling from
the sides of this ollff were round
rocks fike baseballs. These were the
opals. The outside wae black and
rough, but when we chipped this rind
off there lay a pure white Bubstance
like chinaware. The farther toward
the center we broke the rock the more
color developed until beautiful opals
were in the heart of each balL I put
some in a tobacco sack. Business got
bad. I couldn't buy any sheep, for
someone beat me to every good band.
Someone said that opals were unlucky
and I remembered the tobacco sack
I carried filled with them. I threw
the sack away and thereafter bought
some good sheep. I'd probably have
bought them anyway if I hadn't
thrown away the opals." J. Hender
son of Opal City, so named because
of the aforesaid opals. Is registered
at the Multnomah. The city has a
population of about two dozen.
"They are spending " money like
water in the oil towns of Texas," as
serts E. H. Bloom, a New York
traveling salesman, who Is at the
Multnomah. "I saw In one town a
man who looked absolutely broke,
and so did his wife and boy. but I
watched them go into a jewelry store
and the man bought his wife two dia
mond rings, one for $600 and the
other for $800, and he bought the
youngster a diamond stick pin for
$160. The hotel lobbies look like
the stock exchange and although I
wrote three weeks ahead for a room
at one hotel, there were no accom
modations when I arrived. I saw a
family of Indians arrayed regard
less, riding in a big automobile with
a white man driving it. Many colored
men who owned land on which they
could not make a living have bene
fitted as oil was struck on their
acreage and they march around with
silk hat, silk shirt cutaway coat and
gold-headed cane. These colored peo
ple are having the time of their
lives and enjoying every minute of
their prosperity."
"Cattlemen in Crook county haven't
neen making money on their stock,
and the same condition is general
throughout the cattle country," saye
James Wilson, banker of Prineville,
who is at the Imperial. "Buying hay
at $20 a ton and feeding through the
winter isn't what It's cracked up
to be. The alfalfa farmers are the
men who have been making money
and lots of it The stockmen had to
have the hay and the alfalfa men
were prepared to supply it. Why
don't the Btock men quit? They
can't. They have big ranches and
these must be kept going, so the
owners simply have to stick to the
game and hope for the beet."
"The first -f March we will resume
paving at Athena, Milton and La
Orande, on state highway Jobs," says
C. P. A. Lonergan of Pendleton, who
is at the Hotel Portland. "We have
16 miles to finish on these contracts
and with three plants we should be
able to finish this paving this sea
son, unless something interferes. We
have a city paving Job at Enterprise
and we will probably begin on It next
month." Mr. Lonergan says "he ex
pects the labor situation to be a
little tighter this year than it was
last, ae there appears to be some
what of a scarcity of common labor.
"They thought 1 was dead one
morning, but I fooled them," says
William Pollman of Baker, who has
arrived from Roseburg, where he had
a severe attack of pneumonia a few
davs ago. "I guess I was worse than
I imagined." Mr. Pohlman is one of
the best-known residents of eastern
Oregon and he was at Roseburg look
ing after his Interests in tne power
plant there when he became ill.
A. Overstad, who is vice-president
of the Hancock National bank of Han
cock, Minm, arrived at the Imperial
yesterday with his wife. Mr. Over
stad is looking around the country
to see if it compares favorably with
Hancock. In addition to being in the
banking business, he also deals In
farm lands.
Accompanied by his wife and a
shipment of stock, John Williams, a
stockman of the lone country, is at
the Perkins. lone Is watching with
interest the work of preparation for
the feradine of the Oregon-Washing
ton highway through that place. The
contractor is now showing signs of
activity at Cecil, a few miles away.
Dr. L. M. Sims, who does not claim
relationship to the admiral, lsa phy
sician of Kalama, Wash., the place
where the railroad rerry used to be.
The doctor is in Portland, having
prescribed for himself a change of
scene for a few days, ana is at tne
Perkins.
Raloh B. Lester, who registered at
the Multnomah from Spokane, is here
to give the young Americans at Hill
Military academy tne line points oi
Uncle Sam's army. He was stationed
at Vancouver several years ago and
during the war was under General
Liggett.
Looking around in the west for a
place to locate. Dr. F. R. Linton of
New York has arrived In Portland
and Is at the Hotel Washington. He
liked the looks of Seattle, but is now
smitten with the appearance of the
Rose City. .
"We drove J20 miles from Bend to
Klamath Falls in eight and a half
hours, making sometimes 50 miles an
hour and sometimes five miles an
hour, so you can judge what the road
is like, sale. Denton Burdick of Red
mond, who is at the Imperial.
Leonard W. Riley, president of the
McMlnnville (Or.) college. Is regis
tered at the Hotel Washington.
Rev. George W. Kennedy, a pioneer
minister, is at the Hotel Washington
on a visit from Hood River with his
wife.
A. W. Middleton, a lumberman from
Aberdeen. Wash., Is In tne city on
business and is at the Benson.
Tom Thompson, one of the well
known wheat men of Pendleton, Is at
the Imperial. -
In Other Day.
Tweaty-Flve Year Ac.
From The Oregonlan of February 21, 16U5.
Washington. Frederick Douglass,
the noted colored orator, who was
born a slave, dropped dead In this
city last night
Tacoma. It Is announced here that
I an immense electric power plant will
be built on the Stuck river, 10 miles
east of here, by the newly organlxed
White River Water Power company,
capitalised in New Jersey at
$2,000,000.
The final day's session of the Mult
nomah County Sunday School asso
ciation was held yesterday.
Sheep on the eastern Oregon ranges
wintered well and owners' reports In
dicate that the entire average loss
will be not more than one-half of 1
per cent
Fifty Tears Ago.
From The Oregonlan of February 21, 1870.
Chicago. Admiral Farragut Is
seriously ill and fears are felt for his
recovery.
Professor S. H. Marsh of Pactfie
university arrived on the steamer
Ajax and reports that be succeeded in
getting about $20,000. which brings
the total endowment to $65,000.
We heard a rumor yesterday that
the Oregon Steam Navigation com
pany had sold or Is about to sell its
Interests on the Columbia river.
Workmen are busily engaged re
pairing the Hibernian hall for occue
patlon on March 1.
PROM SUBLIME TO RIDICULOUS
Easy EnoDith for Poet U Bi Serloaa,
Yet Produce Bad Lines.
PORTLAND, Feb. 20. (To the Ed
itor.) In The Oregonlan recently, ii
"By-Products of the Press," appears
a paragraph wherein are quoted ex
amples of bad lines by great poets.
I am guilty of being an amateur
poet and would like to explain how
easy it is for a poet to lose himsell
In the realm sublime and yet produce
the ridiculous.
For example, 1 worked long and
Beriovnly on a poem recent. y. In th
first verse appeared the line "When
from the dregs the new wine flows
and farther on I wrote "When my full
hour comes and I have drained ths
cup." Here I was suddenly brought
to earth by realizing that what I had
written seriously might after alt
sound like a drunken spree and yield
to the ridiculous.
Recently I read this expression "The
debris on the mental floor." Sure!;
this expression (as your critic words
it) "scrapes the earth."
In tome very old poetry I find the
poet described as "one who hath
mental sore"; Is it not very amusing?
Yet
Many thlners that never
Could be told In prose,
From the poet's daring
Through the whole world goes,
AMATEUR.
DISCRIMINATION IS APPARENT.
Why Censor Movies Whes Same Plot
la Sold In Book er 1'lnyf
PORTLAND, Feb. 20. (To the Ed
itor.) I am against arbitrary censor
ship of pictures or any other form of
public amusements. I do so for ths
reason that without rigid censorship
they have greatly improved and 1
feel sure that producers and theater
men are Just as much Interested in
keeping pictures clean as alleged re
formers. As I understand It, picture plots are
taken from books., magazine stories
and big plays. Why then allow ths
books to be published, the magazines
to be seen and heard by millions and
then on these same themes discrimi
nate against the pictures?
Let us be fair with the picture ex
hibitor, but demand that he In turn
be fair with the public Let him not
for the sake of mere gain run sale
olous and suggestive material. If he
does let the law mete out severe pun
ishment. One good example of this
kind would do more good than the en
tire Portland board.
MARIE COOPER,
695 Lovejoy at
America's Finest in Autos and
Trucks Invade Portland for
Annual Auto Show .
From the moderate-priced to the most expensive, from the
jaunty runabout to the luxurioua limousine, America's best on
rubber tires will be on display at the Portland automobile show,
which opens here Monday. Every man and woman interested
In motor cars will want to visit the show, and every prospective
Bhow visitor will want to study the wealth of advance informa
tion contained in the speaial Eleventh Annual Automcbile Num
ber of The Oregonian, issued tomorrow. Three heavy eectione
packed from front to back with automobile features, articles and
pictures, tell the story of the biggest show Portland has ever had.
SUFFRAGE FRIENDS CELEBRATE One hundred years
ago, when Susan B. Anthony was borrl, women were like the
.youngsters of today when election day came around to be seen
but not heard. Maybe Miss Anthony and her famous disciple,
Dr. Anna Howard Shaw, were a little ahead of most of the
common folks, but the caravan has caught up at last and the
world is willing to recognize the leadership of both women. The
women folks of Oregon, known as one of the moRt progressive
of suffrage states, will find a wealth of interesting rending in
the account by Miss Helen Johns of the life and works of the
two women, whose birthdays came this month, just a day apart,
February 14 and 15.
DANCERS, ATTENTION Some people of late have been
averring that the pendulum had about bumped the top in this
dance craze and is due to tumble backwards for awhile. But
Paris says 'tis not so. Enter tha "Scissors," the craziest dance
ever danced. We know it because the Parisian dance masters
acknowledge it themselves, and if they say so we believe it. This
latest in the terpsichorean is whispered to Oregonian readers to
morrow in another of the exclusive features of the magazine
section. A whole page, with a group of photos.
CLIMATE BINDS UP WOUNDS OF WAR A second article
on what Oregon is doing for the boys who h3ve come back from
the battlefield as wreckage of the titanic struggle. Maybe your
boy is still paying the price of devotion, a price which can only
be measured by the rule of life itself. At any rate Uncle Sam
is doing a lot right here in Oregon to show that he is an appre
ciative old duffer and ready to help his boys. DeWitt Harry
told only part of the story in last week's issue. The humanest
part of the narrative is yet to come. Be sure and follow it up
tomorrow.
WIVES OF FOREIGN NOBLES DISILLUSIONED The
glitter of the crown, the lure of the title in the lands where
aristocracy knows its inferior, how often has it brought only
sorrow to the rich American girl, instead of leading to the rain
bow's end. Had you supposed that these matches, bom of ambi
tion and clouded by the glamour of royalty, were like those in the
story book, "living happily ever after"? The divorce courts are
telling a different story. These women, scores of them, are now
seeking to rebuild their lives in the land which they wanted to
forget. You'll find this feature worth attention, giving inside
glimpses of the lives of women whose family names are almost
household words throughout the land. With illustrations.
All Ihe News of All the World
THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN
More 1 ruth Tun Potrjr.
By Jasaea J.-Meats.
ADY1CK TO TIIK LOVI'.I.OHI.
If a lover comes a-woolng, aa a lot of
them are doing.
With the manners of a moving-picture
earl.
Though his clothing Is expensive end
his methods are Irtenslve,
Don't be sure that you can trust
him, little girl.
For some lovers purchase raiment en
a trifling weekly payment.
And. although they have the airs of
gentle folk.
Talk about Charles Dana Gibson and'
the plays of Mr. Ibsen.
Men don't make the best of hus
bands when they're broke.
If a lover unassuming, who betrays a
lack of grooming.
And is destitute of graces as
churl.
And, though fond and true and tender,
isn't what you'd call a ppendi-r.
Do not fall for him too quickly, lit
tle girl.
Though he speak of his devotion
with a fervor and emotion
That appears to be sincere and fine
and deep.
Love don't buy one sable collar that
takes round, hard. Iron dollars.
Men don't make the beat of hus
bands when they're cheap.
If some evening you discover yoa've a
cave man for a lover.
As he holds you In the walti'l glddj
whirl.
If he swears he's wild about you and
he cannot live without you,
Just go home and think him overt
little girl.
Love that flits from flower to flowef
often gets a trifle sour,
Though your lily hand he squeeios
till It hurts.
Better ask your little sister who that
fellow was that kissed her;
Men don't make the best of hus
bands when they're flirts.
If some honest chap Impiore you
vowing softly he adores you
To become his crown of crowns an
priceless pearl:
If he swears that you're a treasure
far beyond all earthly measure.
Better check him up at Uradritreets,
little girl.
All of them can pass the honey, but to
harness up the money
Is more difficult than making of a
vow.
And if they go off and leave you ds
not let the parting grieve you.
Men don't make the best of hus
bands anyhow!
see
' The Jewel ef iHeonalatrary.
The prohibitionist Insists on drug
gists poisoning alcohol before thee
sell It although they maintain at tin
same time that this is wholly super
erogatory.
see
Tree Rosnanee.
The convicts who dug a oave In tin
Sing Sing prison yard had all the
thrills of an escape without the Bur
row of leaving the dear old place.
e e
Nobody K.lse Cmm.
Mexico has excellent vision. She
has recognized the German govern
ment (Copyright. lflJO. by Bell Predicate, lno.1
Lost.
By t.rere K. Hall.
She came to live with me one day,
'twas several years ago.
A dainty little maiden with a smlltnt
face a-glow;
Her eyes were like the corn-flower.
her cheeks like blushing rose.
And O, she had a little cute tlp-tllted
saucy nose I
She left me one Fall morning and
started off to school.
A most demure maiden afraid of
every rule;
But someway from that hour she
seemed to faster grow.
And soon I'd most forgotten the babe
I used to know.
Today I searched the playroom and
Beheld her dolls and dishes and llttt
rocking cnair;
And peeping from behind the screen
l eaw iinun wivr.ii .
O, tell me, have you chanced to see
my long-tost nmo a-inr
i