4
THE SUXDAY OltEGOISrTA. POSTiATD FEBRTTASlc 17. 1895
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DAILY METEOROLOGICAL REPORT.
PORTLAND. Feb. 10. S P. M. Maximum
temperature. 61; minimum temperature, 40;
height of rtvr at 11 A. M.. S.: change in the
past it bourn, 0.6; precipitation today. .01; pre
t ipltatlon from. September 1. 1S&4 (wet season),
to date, HUtt; average. 3l.6; tleftclency, 11.73;
number hours C suMiilae Friday. 3:03; possible
number, 10:90.
AVEATHER SYXOPHIS.
TIitp is a storm central at Bismarck. X. D.,
Iik h 24 hours previous was central north of
"Washington. Knowing an unusual rapid move
ment. An area ot high barometric pressure pre
Aails over the Pacific coaBt states and on the
oant, which lias caused fair weather in all sec
tions. A local snow storm 1 in progress at
Idaho Falls. Light snow fell in Eastern Oregon
and Northeastern Wahlwrteft.
WEATHER FORECASTS.
Forecasts made at Portland for the 24 hours
t-nding at midnight February 1
For Oregon. Washington and Idaho Fair
v rather, and warmer nan of the Cascade?,
i yoler to the west of them; light to fresh vari
able winds.
For Portland Fair veatlwr and cooler, with
light to frenh variabk winds.
II. 8. I'AGl'E, Local Forecast Official.
opposed to it, for then the committee
could answer all attacks by saying that
they had recommended -what "was nec
essary for the preservation of the sal
mon, regardless of what effect it had
upon private interests, and, the major
ity of the legislators being1 personally
unprejudiced in the matter, would sup
port it because they would see that it
was right.
l'OKTLV.M). SI XI JAY. FCRRl'ARY 17.
"We shall have genuine bimetalism, in
stead of the silver monometalism the
persons who think they are imitating
the example of France -would give us.
SAUIO, COMMITTEE REPORT.
The outline of the proposed report
of the joint fish committee shows con
clusively that no body of men, no mat
ter how intelligent or conscientiously
earnest in their work, can investigate
the complex conditions surrounding the
salmon industry sufficiently to compre
hend them fully in the brief time al
lowed a legislative committee for doing
this work. The Interests are so conflict
ing, and such persistent onslaught is
made upon a committee by their repre
sentatives, that sufficient time should
be allowed its members to examine
closely into all statements made and
th motives of those who make them.
This could hardly be done during the
limit of a single legislative session, with
the minds of the committee absorbed
largely by other subjects, and their
time occupied by other duties. The
committee has, no doubt, come to a de
cision conscientiously and naturally in
harmony with the strongest influences
surrounding it, yet it has made a mis
take In not lengthening the fall sea
son or otherwise providing for protec
tion of fish on the spawning-beds, as so
earnestly advocated by Commissioner
McDonald.
The records of the Clackamas hatch
ery show that the spawning season be
gins about the first of September, and
does not end until the middle -of No
vember. With thq olpse season ending
September 15, it is easily seen that no
protection whatever is afforded the
Balmon during the time they are ac
tually engaged in the work of procre
ating. Mr. McDonald said in his re
port that the protection of the fish on
the spawning-beds during September
and October was one of the most im
portant of the regulations needed to
render natural propagation effective.
To do this by closing the entire river
und its tributaries would no doubt inter
fere with the business of the canners
und shippers who want to catch fish in
the fall, and It was to meet this diffi
culty ami not Interfere with the catch
ing of other varieties of salmon run
Ling in the fall that McDonald suggest
ed that, while all the tributaries, and
the main river Itself above the dalles,
should be closed, fishing in the main
stream below that point might be
permitted after the middle of Septem
ber. There is no question that adequate
protection of salmon during the spawn
ing season requires that the tributaries
of the Columbia and the upper river
itself be closed during the months of
September and October.
The committee is to be congratulated
that it has resisted the strong pressure
brought upon it to set the beginning
tf the close season as late as August
10, but can not be congratulated upon
yielding to the demand for a short sea
son. Thin is no doubt due more to lack
of full comprehension of Commissioner
McDonald's recommendations, and the
reasons therefor, than to any failure to
resist demands they believed to be det
rimental to salmon preservation. It is
to be hoped a better understanding of
these conditions will lead to a material
lengthening of the close season on
the spawning grounds.
The committee should not count too
much upon the effect of lengthening
the spring close season. It is purely
theoretical, and there is no evidence to
uhow that the few spring fish that es
cape the wheels pass safely through the
three months of open season m the
summer. There is, however, sutliclent
evidence that the fall run is amply able
to supply all the breeding salmon re
quired, provided they are permitted to
go up to the spawning-beds and are
protected during the breeding period.
The first object is accomplished by be
ginning the fall seascn August 1. and
the way to accomplish the second has
been pointed out.
There are features in the bill objec
tionable to different interests, and each
faction will no doubt work hard to have
it amended. Failing in this, they may
combine to defeat the bill itself. The
committee should be in a position to
defend its report on the floor of the
house and senate by showing that Its
recommendations are in accord with
common-sense deductions from actual
conditions, and have been made in
uplte of the opposition of interests ad
verse to them. As the report is out
lined, it will certainly be criticised as
too favorable to the canners and ship
pers at the cascades and dalles, and the
criticisms will be difficult to answer.
The late spring season, the failure to
make a difference of two weeks be
tween the close of the season on the
lower and upper river, the short fall
season, and the abolition of traps after
two years, while wheals are to be per
mitted to run, are all favorable to the
cascades and dalles fishing interest's.
It would be better for the committee
und for the ultimate success of the bill
if all these conflicting interests were
XO BETTER MODEL THAN" FRANCE.
It is the fashion among populist and
silver orators and writers to hold up
the financial policy of France as an ex
ample for imitation by the United
States. These persons counsel more
wisely than they know. The United
States can find no better model than
France. In finance, as in most depart
ments of speculative and practical sci
ence, France leads the world. The
monetary excesses of the first revolu
tion taught the nation a lasting lesson.
The genius of Napoleon left enduring
impress upon Its finance as upon its
jurisprudence and its social economy.
For three-quarters of a century the
finances of France have been managed
more wisely than those of any other
nation. In France, as in all other high
ly civilized countries, management of
the finances is left to the few highly
skllled persons who are competent to
understand and conduct them. The
popular electorate in France would as
soon think of meddling with the com
putation of an eclipse by the astrono
mers of the national observatory as of
Interfering with the delicate and com
plicated operations of national finance.
Consequently the supreme intelligence
of the French nation has full scope In
these, and carries them to a higher de
gree of perfection that is found else
where in the world. If the populist and
silver orators and writers who always
are holding up the example of France
only would let the United States follow
it exactly, we soon should have a bet
ter system of banking and currency
than at any time in our history. But
they ignore both the history and pres
ent state of French finance, and, while
holding that nation up as an example,
urge adoption of notions rejected there
generations ago and scouted instantly
now whenever broached.
Since the dreadful lesson of the as
signats France never has burned her
fingers with government credit cur
rency. There is no such thing as a
treasury note in France, though there
is an enormous debt, over 56,000,000.000,
and its interest-bearing bonds are a fa
vorite popular Investment. All the
paper currency of France is issued by
a single bank, chartered in 1799, which
has branches thioughout the republic.
This was the model for the old United
States bank, which we rejected for
wildcat currency, as we now are asked
to reject the national banking system
for state banks. The Bank of France
has carried the government through all
the crises of this stormy century, some
times suspending specie payment, as
after the war with Germany but never
involved the credit of the government
nor laid upon the treasury the burden
of redemption, and always recovered
itself with surprising celerity. The
notes of this bank and its branches, in
excess of the coin held in its vaults
for redemption, now amount only to $88,
000,000, while the uncovered paper ur
.rency of the United States treasury
amounts to about $300,000,000, burden of
redemption of which rests directly upon
'the government and threatens the na
tional credit with every financial flurry.
France met and solved the new silver
problem as sagaciously as she dealt
with the paper-currency problem after
the painful lesson of 1793, although the
problem was thrown upon the nation
when it was bleeding from the wounds
of foreign and domestic war and stag
gering under the burden of a tremen
dous war indemnity. France is the
only nation of Europe to achieve prac
tical bimetalism, though the other pow
ers of the Latin Union have succeeded
in lesser degree. France passed natu
rally and easily from the silver to the
gold standard, after rejection of the
former by Germany compelled all civil
ized powers to revise their finances
But France retained silver as a token
currency, to which rank, indeed, it was
practically reduced by the Latin Union
agreement of 1SG3, but she maintained
the parity from the beginning by ac
cumulating and holding a large stock of
gold. The limited coinage of the union
was kept up till 1S76, when all mints
were closed to silver. Since then
France has coined no new silver, and
for the last three years has not even
recoined abraded pieces, though in that
time she has coined about $14,000,000 of
gold.
Though France is solidly on the gold
basis, she uses nearly $500,000,000 of sil
ver for circulating medium and bank
reserves. This passes freely at its face
value, though the coins are worth in
trinsically no more than the f0-cent
Mexican dollars. Moreover, they are
accepted freely in redemption of notes
of the Bank of France, because there
is absolute certainty that parity will be
maintained by maintenance of ex
changeabilitj" with gold. Bonds as well
as notes are paid indifferently in gold
or silver for the same reason. Nobody
ever asks a gold bond from France, be
cause everybody knows that France al
ways will make her silver as good as
gold by jealously maintaining ability
to exchange one for the other. The
parity is maintained in the only way
possible to maintain It, by making and
keeping a large reserve of gold. The
$492,000,000 of French silver are sup
ported on $S25.000,00 of gold, much of
which is in the Bank of France and its
branches. This is what maintains par
ity and creates confidence. This is
what gives France practical bimetal
ism with the gold standard.
Here is a model for the United States
to imitate. But to do so we must fol
low counsels directly opposite to those
of the populist and silver orators and
writers who are holding France up as
an example. We must retire all our
treasury notes and establish a sound
and safe bank currency in their place,
substituting an interest-bearing popu
lar loan for greenbacks as part of our
national debt. We must guarantee bi
metalism by protecting the parity. We
must keep our mints closed to silver
until the gold in our currency is to the
sliver as S to 3. Then we must go
steadily and systematically at work to
increase our stock of gold, by sale of
bonds, by exaction of duties in gold,
by all means possible, until it reaches
the above proportion. We now have in
the country about $600,000,00 each of
gold and silver. We must have about
$9vt,W8.0M more of gold. Then we will
be in the situation of France. The par
ity will.be assured and our silver will
have full value, in circulation. s bank
reserves and for redemption purposes.
We ca even use it with gold to pay
our bonds without creating distrust.
THE SAKE SIDE.
The senate did well to postpone in
definitely the proposition to call a con
stitutional convention. If ever a tax
ridden people needed a respite from po
litical wrangling and the pillng-up of
the political expense account, the peo
ple of Oregon need such respite now.
Even if it is granted that the state con
stitution has been to a certain extent
outdated by events, it would be most
unwise to essay to reconstruct and bring
it up to date at a time when the politi
cal air is vocal with the clamors of un
reason and heavy with the weight of
irresponsible "isms."
The few constitutional evils of which
complaint is made are not of the mis
chievous order. The things that are in
the constitution do not cause complaint,
but things that are not in it. Better in
the present state of political unrest
and irresponsibility to let our safe,
even if somewhat antiquated, organic
law alone than to open it to the pre
meditated attacks of the theorists and
visionaries who infest, if mayhap they
do not control, conventions. The con
servative side is the safe side in con
stitutional law, and the time for a re
vision of the state constitution is not
when there is a pronounced tendency
to throw conservatism to the winds
and open upon governmental safe
guards the floodgates of experiment.
Eight years of Pennoyerism have left
their shadow upon a certain class of
our people, warping to some extent
their judgment and disturbing their
political equilibrium. It, is meet that
this shadow be dispelled by the direct
rays of plain, practical common sense
before the state constitution is tam
pered with by a convention called for
that purpose.
and fees, both in. -county and city, ought
to pass through the legislature during
the coming week. One of these bills
proposes amendments of the city char
ter, In the interest of economy and re
trenchment. jThe other proposes reduc
tion of the excessive fees of the district
attorney and justices of, the peace in
this county. Together ihey will save
the city and county not less than $150,
000 a year. Nobody but office-holders
and the few members of their faction
object to their passage
It seems that the matter of prepar
ing regulations for the salmon industry
is being handled in a most unbusiness
like manner. Two committees are at
work, one the regular house and sen
ate committee, and the other a com
mittee appointed to confer with a com
mittee of the Washington legislature.
The former has practically completed
its work, and the amended bill it will
report has been completed by the print
er. The other committee is still nego
tiating. All of this work should have
been given to one committee, for their
reports are certain to conflict. Had
those interested in preventing the
adoption of joint regulations had the
planning of the campaign, they could
not have done it better.
You may build him a monument I hope
you will In testimony ot your grateful
devotion, but his monument is already
built in the books he has written, in his
defense of fundamental truth, in the men
he has trained, in the great college to
whose development he gave 20 of the best
years of his life."
Rev. Dr. HilUs, who took up Professor
Swing's work in Chicago, is being perse
cuted by his brother Presbyterian clergy
raen, who believe him to be heterodox.
Even sermon Dr. Hillls delivers brings
him a dozen or more of letters from
preachers who proceed to lecture him as
If he were a naughty 4-year-old child.
hEXGLAXD'S FIXAXCIAL SYSTE3irVand church, and a popular and respected
v. I vuerjjyman. .tie nuu neiu up uie casnier,
Populist senators are denouncing the
president for selling United States
bonds below their value. But these
populist senators made and directed
the public opinion whose mischievous
reaction upon national credit has made
it impossible for the government to
borrow money on ordinary terms, and
driven it into the camp of the usurers
to be despoiled. The $1C,000,000 extra
to be paid for the last addition of gold
to the reserve represents the price of
the populist agitation.
The legislature of Massachusetts will
permit no such cloud upon the credit
of the state as that which congress
stubbornly leaves fixed upon the na
tional credit. It has just passed an
act whose title is "an act to provide
that scrip or bonds issued -for provid
ing armories for the Massachusetts vol
unteer militia shall be redeemable in
gold or its equivalent," and whose text
declares that "the interest and princi
ple of the scrip or certificates of debt
issued by the treasurer of the common
wealth," under the armory-loan act of
18SS, "shall be payable, and when due
shall be paid, in gold coin or its equiva
lent." Massachusetts took the stand in
1S78, when there was so much greenback
talk in the hard times which followed
the currency crash of 1873, when Butler
and his "fiat-morey" folly were popular
with a large minority of the people, and
when savings banks were obliged to
secure special legislation for their pro
tection, that all of the state's obliga
tions should be paid in gold. An act
was passed with that declaration, and
now, when the standard is again un
certain, owing to the silver folly, the
state again puts herself right before
the world by an act to say that this
particular loan, whose redeemability in
gold was doubtless omitted by over
sight, shall be paid by the gold stand
ard. Massachusetts' credit is high in
London. Many of her securities are
held there, and this act shows why
they are not returned, like many other,
state and corporate bonds, in this time
of distrust of American securities.
The "Sunny South" is having its first
experience with a snow storm. The
fact that it was, metaphorically speak
ing, caught out in its shirt-sleeves in
this experience, prevents any enjoy
ment of the snow as a novelty. The de
lights of winter, in order to be delights
at all, must be anticipated and pro
vided against by thrift. This can
scarcely be expected in a section in
which snow falls but once in a long
lifetime, and a killing frost is a phenomenon.
night asked a Dolph supporter what he
thought about the scheme. The reply
was that It had no possible chance of
success, as the Dolph men were as solid
now as they had been at any time during
the fight.
REV. JtEID'S EXPLOIT.
Hott It Lookx to . Man. Up a. CIiI
caRO Tree.
Chicago Times.
Out In Portland. Or., Wednesday, thcy
capiured a desperate bank-robber, who
made a most determined fight before he
was ovenowered and tlip hurrrlnr wi
"NM then recognized as the minister of a Port-
The Salem Statesman seems to have
expected the effort to elect Lord to the
senate by attempting a combination of
the bolting republicans, the populists
and a part of the democrats, to ma
terialize yesterday. But it did not.
The main trouble doubtless is to get a
sufficient number of democrats to enter
the combination. The story printed by
the Statesman yesterday we republish
today.
The last so-called bond sale, which
really was a purchase of gold by
weight, like any other commodity, the
government giving Its note for the pur
chase price, was not made under the
specie-resumption act of 1875, like the
earlier transactions, but under an old
provision of law found in section 3700
of the revised statutes, which reads as
follows: "The secretary of the treasury
may purchase coin with any of the
bonds or notes of the United States au
thorized by law, at such rates and upon
such terms as he may deem most ad
vantageous to the public interest." This
law was first enacted in 1S62, being a
part of the war measures of that period,
but, having been re-enacted in 1874 as a
part of the revised statutes, it has re
ceived the stamp of permanence. Its
existence appears to have been over
looked until now. It supplies any de
fect, if there were any before, in the
chain of title by which these bonds
and the previous ones have been issued.
The discovery of these latent powers is
new illustration of the large extent of
executive authority in our system.
Judge Williams would be a mighty
good man to send to the senate, which
causes us to think, he will not be sent
to the senate. The trouble is that those
who are voting for him are not voting
with sincerity. They do not want Will
iams, or any man of his breadth of
character. They are in this contest for
little politics.
The cock-and-bull story that wit
nesses were tortured to obtain evidence
against the royalist conspirators in
Hawaii will not obtain credence in the
United States. Ttig;rulers of Hawaii
are Americans,-arsreas unlikely to
revert to mediev'f&rture as Presi
dent Clevelandrandvh'is cabinet.
It is not unlikely that the late Tam
many municipal officers of New York
Avill bo indicted and brought to trial
for past peculations. The people of
New York are apt to be as thorough
when once aroused, as they are slow
to resent public malfeasance.
Two stubborn old chieftains of the
Spokane Indians, who, with their
pinched and squalid following of a few
dozen erstwhile warriors, have been
hangers-on upon the outskirts of the
city of Spokane for years, have finally
decided to accept the proffered hospi
tality of the government and go to the
reservations to be housed and fed.
Strong in the belief that they were en
titled to lands occupied by white men
in the Spokane valley, they have here
tofore refused to listen to any proposi
tion looking to their removal to a res
ervation. Their capitulation pro'es
that even Indians can be taught by
adversity the lesson that "might makes
right," and can be induced to accept
the only terms that power has to offer.
Those who have seen these aimless
vagabonds, the remnant of a once
proud and powerful race, disporting the
tattered garments of civilization while
they defied its every precept, will be
glad to know that they have aban
doned the vain hope of restoration to
their ancient domain and accepted the
terms offered by the treaty of 1SS7.
The bolters never will vote for Judge
Williams when their votes would elect
him. They are organized on the basis
of "what there is in it," and Judge Will
iams is a man through whom this noble
ambition never could be realized.
The president will not ask congress
for any more financial legislation, be
cause he has demonstrated that he can
run the financial machinery of the gov
ernment without aid from congress.
Binictnllsni Xot n. Matter of Prncticnl
Politics.
PORTLAND, Feb. 16. (To the Editor.)
I cannot help joining issue with your cor
respondent in Saturday's paper, that the
late English elections were, in their result.
Influenced by the bimetallic question. For
ordinary English people, I think it is not
going too far to state that bimetalism
does not enter Into practical politics. Pos
sibly some professors of political economy
may, in theory, hold that two standards
are better than one, but that their opin
ions will influence one-twentieth of one
per cent of the votes to be given at the
next general election, I do not believe.
Of the three last elections, Forfarshire,
Brigg and Evesham, Forfar may be said
to have been won by the defenders of the
established church of Scotland; Brigg, in
Lincolnshire, quite a typical farming dis
trict, by the dislike ot home rule, and gen
eral policy of a Gladstonian government.
Evesham, which had previously returned
a conservative, returned Colonel Long
with a largely increased majority on the
general conservative programme. I should
doubt whether bimetalism was even men
tioned at either of these three elections,
very much more burning questions (to the
English electorate) being to the fore.
Your correspondent's Idea that the con
servative party may make bimetalism a
part of their programme, to the average
English mind appears very Improbable.
Why should they, of all parties, disturb
the present basis of finance at home? The
out-of-oflice speeches of some two or three
leading conservatives must be taken as
being academical expressions of personal
opinion that will In no way affect a future
conservative ministry.
I am fully aware that the Right Hon.
Arthur Balfour has spoken academically
In favor of some form of bimetalism that
he did so about 18 months ago. at some
agriculturist meetings. I am aware some
other statesmen (notably the late Lord
Randolph Churchill) have been spoken of
as being favorable to bimetalism; but I
am not aware of the fact that either Mr.
Balfour (though incontestably the most
able leader on the conservative side) or
Lord Randolph Churchill was In any Avay
regarded as authorities on finance. The
opinions of Mr. Goschen, late chancellor of
the exchequer, would have incomparably
more weight.
The resolutions and speeches of English
bimetallsts, whether professors or states
men, are all academical, because they all
refer to the possibility of International
concord on the question, and international
bimetalism appears to most of us a dream,
of the future, not likely to be realized dur
ing our lives; conferences on the subject
only revealing more clearly the diversity
of objects of the conferring nations, and
the almost Insuperable difficulties to be
overcome before a universal agreement
could be reached.
The real question for England, so far as
there is a silver question at all, is the
problem of Indian and Chinese exchange.
In those two countries there are some 600,
000,000 of people, not with a bimetallic
standard, but with a single silver one.
How a possible adoption of a bimetallic
standard in Europe and America would af
fect that exchange only an expert can say,
and experts, like doctors, differ.
I have seen it stated in some ot the pa
pers here that France is a bimetallic coun
try; prohibits exportation of gold, and
can pay her debt3 in silver. It ia possible
the statement is technically correct, but
practically It is not so. It is not long since
the Bank of France lent the Bank of Eng
land an enormous amount of gold, an
amount measured by the million sterling.
If gold could not be exported, that could
hot have taken place. Any one possessing
French rentes or consols is paid in gold,
and I don't think any one ever heard of
the Bank of France, the Credit Foncier,
or Credit Lyonnais forcing silver upon a
presenter of their notes or obligations. It
is possible there may be a reserve power
to do so, but it is never done, and not
likely to be attempted.
To all intents and purposes, France is a
gold-standard country, in which silver Is
merely token money, and the value of the
French silver franc and the United States
silver dollar alike depends on the faith of
the receiver that the state will (if neces
sary) redeem its silver token In gold. The
moment that faith Is shaken, it would ap
pear the value of the silver coin must fall
to the market price of tho metal contained
in it. C. S.
and would have got away with a valise
full of money had it not been for the In
terference of an entire stranger, who. in-.
stead of minding his own busines:
sneaked in and got-the drop on the rev
erend gentleman just as he was empty
ing the coin trays into his carpet bag.
It will bring a pulse of pity Into many
a sympathetic heart to learn that the
Rev. J. S. Reld, the parson In the case,
forgave the man who arrested him, and
would have prayed for him there and
then had there been time and opportunity.
He also rebuked the cashier of the bank
that he was robbing, and whom he had
tied and gagged, for profane swearing
after he got the gag out of his mouth,
and. In fact, his whole conduct during
the trying scenes that followed was ex
emplary in its meekness and piety.
Perhaps the Rev. Mr. Reid's congrega
tion will not recognize the folly of try
ing to make a minister live through a
hard winter on one donation party and
J2S. Either the man must get others to
help him or he must help himself. There
was no way in which he could get money
out of the bank except with a gun and
a sandbag, and he came very near getting
all he needed. He has been taken to
prison, of course, and much ribald criti
cism has been cast upon him, but, after
all, Mr. Reid can prove an alibi. It was
not he that tried to steal that money,
but his .frosty congregation, but It "is
he who will bear the punishment for heir
penury.
There is no particular moral to the
story, save that in bank robbery it is al
ways better to select an isolated bank.
In a crowded place somebody is always
sure to come blundering in and spoil the
most exact and ingenious combinations.
A PLUMBER OBJECTS.
PORTLAND, Feb. 16. (To the Editor.)
I would like to ask Mr. R. H. Miller
through the columns of your paper to give
the location or names of the public school
buildings in which he has found defective
plumbing. I have children attending
school and I have done plumbing work in
a few of the school buildings of this city,
and it certainly Is no more than fair and
just that r should be given a chance to
correct any errors that may have been
made in this work. If our school build
ings are in such an unhealthy condition,
the board ot directors, city physician and
Inspector of plumbing and drainage are
at fault and should be prosecuted for
criminal carelessness. I do not believe
that such conditions can be found, and
that this talk of cutting down the ex
pense of some other department of city
affairs or shortening the school year Is
made in the Interest of somebody that
desires to be inspector of public buildings
for the city of Portland. If Mr. Miller
is a candidate for this office, let him make
it known in some other manner than his
uncalled-for attack on the master plumb
ers of Portland. During the past 18 months
a great deal has been written about the
sanitary condition of our public school
buildings, but nearly every writer has
been careful not to give the name or loca
tion of the building in which such condi
tions existed. I, for one, am tired of this
shooting at everybody and hitting nobody.
If any master plumber is a "murderer of
the innocent," let his case be published
the same as any other lawbreaker. If
ordinance No. 9040, relating to the drainage
and plumbing ot buildings. Is strictly en-,
lorcea ana tne neaun onicers ao tneir
duty, no one need fear death at the hands
of the cruel plumber. T. J. JOHNSTON.
XEWS OF THE XQRTDAVEST.
Oregon. '--' -
The Pendleton electric light plant will
be materially enlarged and Improved.
Attachments to the amount of $2600 havo
been filed against Hanoy Bros., merchants)
at Klkton.
A carload of dried prunes, apples, pears,
etc.. was shipped from Ashland to Atchi
son. Kan., last week.
The old electric power-house at The
Dalles has been converted Into a church
for the Calvary Baptists.
The regular examinations of applicants
for teachers certificates are bolng held
by th( various county superintendents.
The Independence Amateur Athletic
Club has rented a gymnasium room 24x40
feet, and will probably build an addition.
Machinery for the manufacture ot laun
dry and high-grade tcilet soaps will arrive
at Independence from Chicago in a few
weeks.
The New Era is the name of a paper
that has been started at Roseburg by W.
T. Fogle. published in the interests of
the W. C. T. U.
The chief of the Tillamook fire depart
ment Is giving the firemen instruction in
military drill, and it is proposed to in
troduce the drill Into the public school.
Professor Jackson, of the Dayton school,
resigned Friday and the same night do
parted from the city, much to the chagrin
of sundry bill collectors who wanted to
fcee him. S. S. Duncan, now teaching at
North Yamhill, will succeed him.
Friday afternoon the residence of Eu
gene Brock was burned at Astoria. The
tire was set in some way by a 2-year-cld
child, playing alone in an upper room.
Frightened by what It had done, it crawled
under a bed and was saved at the last mo
ment with difficulty.
It took nearly 2000 pennies at the Astoria,
postoffice to make change for those re
ceivers of valentines who had to pay 1
cent postage due because the sender had
only put on a 1-cent stamp. This is paying
too much for the hideous pictorial insult
most of them received.
Two days and a number of dollars were
ronsumed at Fossil the past week in try
ing a storekeeper for selling goods on
Sunday, contrary to a city ordinance.
It was proved that the store was open
and several men were within, but the only
transaction in evidence was the transfer
of a plug of tobacco by the proprietor to
a man, with the remark that he would
give It to him. The verdict was not guilty.
Sam Tracer, who resides about a mile
northwest of Junction City, says the
Time3, thinks an attempt was made to
poison him. He had been away from
home, and on -his return Sunday morning
he became aware of the fact that his wife)
was absent. While eating a cold lunch ha
noticed a white substance sprinkled on
tho meat. A portion of it was brought to
townandan analysis made, which revealed
poison. His wife is still missing, and the
outcome of the case will be watched with
interest.
The superintendent of the reform school
has a shotgun that was taken from a.
farmhouse along the river below Salem by,
a couple of escaped boys not long since,
and he is desirous of finding the owner.
The boys, after being captured, told the
story of their trip, but they cannot remem
ber which side of the river they were on
when they got the gun. During their
frolic the boys took a rowboat from the
bank of the slough in South Salem, and
with it floated down the Willamette as far
as Butteville, where the craft was anch
ored, and, so far as can be learned, has not
yet been returned to Its owner.
Crazy or not, the place for the cler
ical bank-robber, Bead, is in the peni
tentiary, for so long as the law will al
low him to be sent there.
The state missed the misfortune of a
constitutional convention only by a lit
tle. But it missed it.
The death of Hon. Isaac P. Gray,
of Indiana, minister to Mexico, simpli
fies the work of the next national demo
cratic convention, which was supposed
to be in honor bound to do something
for him in recognition of his mag
nanimity in giving place without noise
to Cleveland in 1S92, and in recompense
for his disappointment in not receiving
the nomination that went to Adlai Ste
venson. The event will also give an
other democrat a chance to secure a
favor from the administration. Ex
Senator Hansom, of North Carolina,
is modestly expectant of this honor,
having, with an office-hunter's usual
childlike trust, already placed himself
in the hands of his friends. "So quick
treads joy upon the heels of sorrow."
While the new bridge bill for this city
is not an ideal measure, it seems to be
about the best thing that could be got
in the circumstances. The taxpayers
will be called upon to decide whether
their Interests do not require the im
position of tolls on vehicles, and the
central part of the city will get free
transit over the river, which hitherto
has been denied it. The other local
bills, for reduction of official salaries
PERSOXS "WORTH ICXOWIXG ABOUT.
The Rev. John McCIoud, of Remsen's
Corners, Ohio, aged 93, and the oldest
clergyman In the state, is still preaching
every Sunday.
Archbishop Kain, of St. Louis, has au
thorized the Catholic society of Queen's
Daughters, to co-operate with the Young
Woman's Christian Temperance Union in
temperance work.
Congressman Tom Johnson has given a.
corner in Elyria, Ohio, to each of the prin
cipal denominations the Methodist, Con
gregational. Baptist, Disciple and Luther
an. They will erect new churches at once.
Rev. W. Stewart Browning, the walking
evangelist, has just finished a tour of
Northeast and North Texas, where he has
been evangelizing for the last three
months. He hays he has preached and
held meetings at S4 places, and has trav
eled on foot over 1300 miles.
Emperor William of Germany has come
out in yet another character, that of an
artist. The library of the reichstag has
just received a series of drawings by his
majesty. They represent vessels of the
most recent construction, selected from
the navies of the United States, France
and Japan.
Charles Montague, of Philadelphia, has
been collecting menus for 23 years, and
has over 2000, some of which are very val
uable. The gem of the collection is the
menu of a dinner given to Queen Victoria
at the time of the queen's jubUee. It is
printed on satin, and bordereivith gold
fringe 2" inches long.
The new Bishop of Indiana, the Rev.
John Hazen White, is about 45 years old.
He was educated at the Berkeley divinity
school, at Middlelown, Conn. His first
parish was that at Joliet, III., whence he
was transferred to St. Paul. About four
years ago he was placed in charge ot
the Seabury divinity school, at Faribault.
Ex-Speaker and next Speaker Reed has
hard wdrk convincing his friends that the
picture of him in the house lobby is a
good likeness. A short time ago he piloted
a lady to the lobby, and asked her opinion
of the painting. "I think it is horrid."
she said. "You don't look a bit like that.
There is absolutely no expression In that
head." "Well," said the Maine states
man, "it's hard to get expression in a bald
head."
At the annual dinner of Princeton
alumni In New York, President Patton
said that the college needed at present
$1,000,000 for dormitories, recitation hall
and new professorships. The library, too,
was in need of large gifts. The college,
he said, should have from 10 to 20 fellow
ships, and from 50 to 75 scholarships. Of
I Dr. McCosh, he said: "His work is done.
THE TREASURY PROBLEM.
DuticN Payable in Gold More Import
ant Than Bunds Payahle ia Gold.
PORTLAND, Feb. 16. (To the Editors
It would seem more important to make
duties payable in gold than make bonds
thus payable. Such a law would restore
confidence at home and abroad in our
ability to carry out the subtle policy of
the government to pay our bonds in the
best money. As long as duties can be
paid in money likely to depreciate cne-
half of its present Interchangeable value,
and just so long as there is no special use
for gold it will go out of the country.
Make duties payable in gold, then it will
accumulate in the treasury. The Im
porters will be obliged to procure it and
the government will not be obliged to beg
for it or ask foreigners to buy our bonds.
They will then be sought for at home
and abroad, and will bring the highest
price. Uncertainty as to our ability to
maintain parity between the two metals
causes distrust, and this can only be
removed by a constant inflow of gold for
duties. This will enable us to keep up
our $100,000,000 gold reserve, and that will
allay all distrust. For any deficit in rev
enue the government can sell Us bonds
and replenish its treasury for the ordi
nary currency of the country, which will
be kept at parity by reason of the
duties being paid in gold, which would
probably amount from $4,000,000 to $3,000,000
a week. Both parties have long enough
evaded this necessity, and it is time they
took the "bull by the horns" and re-enacted
this necessary provision, which
carried us so safely through our war
times, when our bonds were sought for by
reason of the fact that our duties were
payable in gold and pledged to the pay
ment of the interest on our bonds. The
great mistake was in the repeal of that
law providing for the duties to be so paid.
H. W. CORBETT.
Republics Cost Money.
Boston Globe.
No professional statistician in good and
regular standing proposes to be out of a
job for a single moment if he can help it.
Accordingly we find a genius at figures in
Paris computing the cost per hour of run
ning the Frencli government during the
century now nearing its closs, with the
following results:
Under the first empire 523.000
Under Louis Philippe 23.S00
under tne republic or ists 34,uuo
Under the second empire 49.S00
In the year 1S94 92,600
We are probably to assume that the
working day taken for this computation
consists of 21 hours. Had the computor
made his divisor a working day of 10
hours the figures, even with Sundays
counted in, would have been still more
startling. This genius would do well to
come to Washington and figure what it
cost the people per hour to run the Amer
ican republic under the billion-dollar con
gress. His figures certainly suggest that
it might be well to introduce the shorter
hours movement into the business of
spending the people's money through leg
islative appropriations. If the members
of the billion-dollar congress had worked
less hours they would doubtless not have
had time to finish the big job before them.
Why not shorter hours for governments
as well as Individuals? The cost per hour
might seem huge, but it would doubtless
lighten the burdens of taxpayers and con
sumers. A Ja-iiimeHe Explanation.
PORTLAND, Feb. 16. (To the Editors
Having seen in The Oregonlan that cer
tain Japanese in this city are fond of
dogfighting, a brutal pastime, took place
recently, and its participants were ar
rested and punished, I was greatly sur
prised and felt shame in reading such a
disgraceful news originated by my fellow-countrymen,
and have, consequently,
compelled to state my opinion concern
ing tne sport.
I have learned that the province of
Tosa was once only place in Japan where
the dogfighting prevailed as a sport.
But. as police system developed, such a
cruel and barbarous pastime wholesoraely
disappeared under the soil of Japan, and
thence none has never been accustomed
to do such pastime. The news was en
tirely out of my expectation.
All prominent Japanese have never lose
an opportunity of advicing such men, by
means of speeches and publications; yet
there seems any influence due upon them,
and the former consider that there is no
remediable mean for the latter, but to put
them under an external restraint.
INU KIRAI.
Washington.
Dr. Hawkins died at Marysville Monday.
Two creamery companies have been in
corporated at Ellensburgh.
Chief Seattle, a. carrier-pigeon less than
a year old, has just made a flight from
Friday harbor to Seattle, a distance of
82 miles.
Carl Scholl, millwright at the Prescoit
mill, had his hand mashed between the
rolls Wednesday. He was taken to Walla
Walla for treatment.
The Horn Rapld3" Irrigation. -ComDaxv
has been organised to Irrigate lands in
the southern portion of Yakima county
with water taken from Yakima river.
W. K. Leinjan, of Rock "Valley, la., has
reached Spokane on a tour of the Pacific
Northwest in search of a location for a
colony of Hollanders who want to leave
Iowa.
A conference is being held by the city
authorities of Ballard and Seattle on the
proposition to supply the former city with
water through the latter's Lake Washing
ton plant.
A carload of supplies for the Nebraska,
sufferers was forwarded from Davenport
Thursday, and another from Spokane.
These make 20 cars sent from Eastern
Washington.
Congress having provided for the estab
lishment of a military post on Puget
sound, Tacoma and Seattle have become
rivals for Its possession, while other cities
are not altogether hopeless.
The siwash population of Wallace, Sn6
homish county, was thrown into an unu
sual state of excitement Wednesday af
ternoon about 5 o'clock by a large quan
tity of booze, brought in by some unknown
party. After the injection of the proper
amount of the fluid, axes, clubs and knivea
were freely used, and in the melee one In
dian, John Davies, was stabbed twice, the
wounds resulting in, his death. The Indian
charged with the murder is George Mol
arity. Last Friday morning, says the Skagit
News, Operator Miller, at that place, tried
to reach Seattle over the Postal telegraph
line, but, getting no answer, he knew the
wiresweredown somewhere between there
and Seattle, ind in order to get a reply
he was compelled to send word to Van
couver, and from there it was sent to
Winnipeg, thence to Chicago, Denver. San
Francisco, Portland and Seattle. The op
erator at Seattle could get no answer from
any station north of Arlington, and ot
course he knew that the wires were down
somewhere near there. Mr. Miller says
the message traveled over 7000 miles be
fore reaching Seattle, and made the cir
cuit In a little less than 30 minutes.
RUMORS AT SALEM.
TalU Aliont Pops., Demi-Pops, and
Ilt'iux. Unltins on. Loril.
Salem Statesman, Saturday.
Rumors are rumors, and whether they
are worth much or not, the air is filled
with them. The latest one is In effect
that the populist members have consented
to vote for Lord today. This, the rumor
says, would come within six of election on
the first ballot to be cast at noon. Ru
mor has kindly arranged a programme
for the remainder of the day's session.
The "solid 30" and the 10 populists give the
antis a combined strength of 40. The
democrats, to assist in the matter, will
vote with the 40 on a motion to take a
second ballot today. That will give a
total of 43 for a second ballot, and the
antis expect to make gains from the
Dolph side of the house in sufficient num
ber during the ballots cast during the
afternoon to elect Lord.
"Don't say that I told you," said a
senator to a Statesman reporter last night,
"but this is the programme as they expect
to carry it out Saturday."
A Statesman reporter in the lobby last
A Statement liy Taylor.
THE DALLES, Or., Feb. 13.-To the
Editor.) In your issue of the 14th Inst.
your Dalles correspondent refers to the
case of T. G. Mitchell vs. O. D. Taylor,
then pending in our circuit court, as one
in which I sought to evade the payment of
a guaranty. It is right that the state
ment cf your con espondent be corrected.
I have never tried to evade the fulfill
ment of any contract signed by me, the
conditions having been fulfilled by the
other parties. I have never refused pay
ment of any just claim of any kind. Th-r
court non-suited the plaintiff in this case
this morning. O. D. TAYLOR.
TIjIi I Plain Speech.
Kansas City Star.
The man who continues to advocate the
free coinage of silver on the plea that
silver and gold can be maintained in cir
culation together, is either dishonest or
ignorant. The only practical question is
whether the gold standard shall be main
tained, or whether a silver standard, with
its attendant depreciation and repudia
tion, shall be established. If gold pay
ments are not continued at the treasury
the country will settle down to a silver
basis, without the necessity of laws put
I xing it uie.
r
r
PARAGRAPHERS' PLEASAXTRIES.
"I wonder why he married her?" "As
a bargain. I suppose, on account of her
age." "Her age?" "Yes; it is 28, marked
down from 27." Indianapolis Journal.
Fortune Teller You will be very poor
until you are 35 years of age. Impecunious
Poet (eagerly) And after then? Fortune
Teller You will get used to It. Tid-Bits.
His Attention Divided. Mrs. Jones
John, you didn't keep your eyes on the
preacher all the time. Mr. Jones How
could I? I had my umbrella with me.
Life-
De Bore How did you catch your cold?
De Bristle You know colds are contagi
ous? "Yes." "Well, I caught it asking
other people how they caught their
colds." New York Weekly.
Temperance Orator O, my friends,
whisky Is the curse of England! You
must ail try to put It down, -mere must
be no half measures: if you don't want
whisky to get the best of you, you must
get the best of whisky. Pall Mall Budget.
Mrs. Noall The Vandergilts have re
turned after suffering terrible hardships on
their cruise in the Southern seas. Their
yacht crew mutinied, and they were
marooned on a desert isle. Mrs. Blank
head How dreadful! And maroon is a
color Mrs. Vandergilt always detested I
Puck.
They had not been married very long,
and they had a good ccok, but one even
ing when he came home to dinner he
found that not a single thing was cooked
properly. He had done a stroke or two
of good business during the day, but be
ing naturally an easy-tempered fellow, he
said nothing. When desfert was reached,
his wife said to him, "I didn't tell you
before, dear, but as a treat I cooked the
whole dinner today for you myself." "Oh,
that's It. is it? I owe the cook an apol
ogy." "An apology?" she asKeu. "ivor
what?" "For the mental injustice I have
been doing her all the evening." Boston
Budget.