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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 4, 1900)
T75i?-T"-T?JCTr u THE SUNDAY OREGONTA1T. PORTLAND, FEBRUARY 4, 1900. ERR MOST ON ANARCHY AGITATOR, ADVOCATED ABOLTTIOX OF GOVBRXaiEXT. Speech Jfot So Interesting: a That ef Addis and Meeting; "Was a Tame Affair. Johann Most, the anarchistic leader, who disappointed Ms audience by not speaking at A. O. U. W. hail Friday night, was present at the meeting last evening, and spoke, but the disappoint ment was equally great. Herr Host's wannest admirers will never accuse Mm of being an orator. In. fact, Henry Addis can give him cards and spades and beat him. His speech Is marred by the fact that his English Is broken; and Mb grotesque appearance, heightened by a facial deformity, does not have a pleasing effect on an audience. Herr Most spoke first In English for oa or 46 minutes, and then talked for half an hour la Ms native German. His theory was exactly that advocated by Mr. Addis Friday sight, but Ms explanations were less lucid. In his opening remarks he stated that he was suffering from a severe cold, and that he spoke English imperfectly. He said, however, that he would be satisfied with the result If only a few were con verted to the doctrine of anarchy. He made the statement that a free coun try is one without a ruler, and without a king; where all are free and equal; a country without laws and without super stition; where every man Is entitled to his own; where there is no tMevlng and no robbery; where oppression has been banished and where priests and officers are no more. He predicted the next revolution would be the entire abolition of private property and it would be as complete as the aboli tion of chattel slavery. He spoke of foreigners coming to Amer ica as the land of the free, finding here no emperor and no pope, but a land ruled by tm kings coal kings, railroad kings and oil kings. The men who were executed In Chi cago in 1887, he said, were murdered be cause they attacked by mouth and by pen the monopolists and the capitalists of Chicago, and not because they were guilty of any crime. "We have," he continued, "In America 90,908 millionaires. Yet no one can become a millionaire without stealing from thou sands of people. You are In the hands of & band of robbers and hypocrites." "There are two kinds of parties," he asserted, "and the difference between the republican party and the democratic party is this: One Is a band of robbers, the other a gang of x thieves; one consists of office-holders, the other of office-seekers." He compared the whole world to a lu natic asylum. "We go barefooted," he said, "because we produce too many shoes; ragged because we produce too many clothes, and we starve because we produce too much food. In other words, we are not allowed to consume what we produce. The entire system Is wrong. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. "We are ruled by whom? Not by the men we eleet, but by those poor devils, the policemen, the private detectives, the hangmen and lawyers, and liars of every kind." The remedy, said Herr Most, Is to create a public opinion in favor of anarchy. He said it will not require a majority, but only a strong, determined minority. It will then be easy to overthrow the rulers and abolish all law. He advocated wiping out the state and then all economic Insti tutions would be the property of the peo ple. He proceeded to delineate the theory advanced by Mr. Addis, that In a state of anarchy men would only be required to work twe w three hours a day, and that all crime would vanish like dew beneath the morning sun. At the conclusion of his speech In Eng lish. Mr. Addis stated that a collection wouW. be taken up to pay the hall rent, and four women passed around hats for contributions. Mr. Addis stated that pre liminary Steps would be taken at the close of the meeting towards forming an an archist club in Portland. Herr Most then spoke for a half hour In Carman, about one-half of the crowd re maining. irEIUt MOST'S VIEWS. Am Related, ret Some Length, to an Interviewr. "Johann Most, of New York," as Herr Most subscribed himself on the Imperial fhotel register, yesterday, Is a little, elderly Bavarian, with a wiry, gray beard that almost covers Ms face, and a decidedly Teutonic aocent as he talks with ve hemenoe on things he Is very much In clined to do. He might pass for a Luth eran minister, as his garb rather indicates the clergyman, though one of his missions In the world is "Down with the church down with all priests." "Mr. Most, you have a national, if not e. world-wide reputation?" "Yea. The papers have pictured me as k devil with horns and cloven feet, a torch In ray hand or bombs in my pocket, just because I am anxious to free the human race from the insane asylum Into which we have drifted." "What are the anarchists trying to ac complish, anyway?" "We wage war against private property, against the state and against the church. "We repudiate the institution of private property, because Its history is that of human suffering. So long as private prop rty prevails, there will be rich and poor, and the poor will be dependent on the rich. Such a condition of things leads to a monstrous accumulation of wealth, to Insufferable pride, to Insane avarice, am bition and cruelty; and, on the other hand, to an impoverishment of the masses and Intellectual decay. Down with private property! "The state, so far from being, as many Jancy, an institution for securing the gen eral welfare of the people, Is simply a measure of defense the rich have set up against the poor. The fewer the rich and the more numerous the poor, the greater the elaboration of this protective ma chine, and It finally degenerates Into the monster with Its countless hands in every body's pocket; with its ropes and halters to hoML s fast; with Its rifles and swords and clubs to swing over our heads; with 4 its prisons and scaffolds that threaten our destruction. Down with the state! "The church, no matter what the de nomination. Is the condensation of the most enormous swindle ever perpetrated on humanity. It controls several millions of crafty scoundrels, who, year In and year out, in every country, are let loose upon people, that they may fill their brains with such nonsense as only a true enemy of mankind could Invent. Down with the church! Down with all creed swindles and priest hunfbug!" "Do the anarcMsts expect to accomplish their purposes?" "Certainly we do. The revolution Is com ing every day. The trusts and combines are oppressing the poor until the poor can stand It no longer. There Is plenty In the world for us all, and yet eome are rolling inJuxury while others are starving." Herr Most makes his living by publishing a weekly: paper, the Frelhelst, In New York city. This periodical Is printed In German, and Is devoted to the further ance of his peculiar Ideas. He Is making a trip out here under the auspices of the anarchists, who have local lodges In San Francisco, Portland and Seattle, the three cities In which he is booked to speak. He says he had large houses in San Francisco, but the organization In Portland Is as yet very small. He goes from here to Seattle; thence to Denver, Omaha, Chicago, and back to New York. The great apostle of anarchy Is 54 years old, though he might pass for 70 If he desired. His left cheek is swollen very much, and thus gives the right side of his face a sunken appearance. He was asked yesterday If he had been suffering from toothache, and said: "No, sir. If you had suffered as much as I have with that face, you wouldn't 1 smile. When I was 4 years old I had the toothache, and was doctored by 20 differ ent physicians and surgeons, who left me In the state you see. One of these wretches Is alive today, and he thanka God that he has cured me." x Herr Most's pictures are usually taken In profile, as a full-face view would dis closo this swelling, that perhaps has given rlso to his contempt for physicians, as well as clergymen, officials and capital ists. LOCKED UP MANY TIMES. Brief Sketch of the Most Distin guished of Anarchist. Johann Most bears the proud distinc tion of having been inside of more jails than any other political heretic of his time. In fact, he has been locked up oftener than most criminals would be should they live to be 100 years old. He was'born at Augsburg, February 5, 184G. His father was a court official, and man aged to give his boy some education. Today he is an educated man, and, but for his rabid anarchism, would be an ornament to the society which he seeks to overthrow. From his earliest years he was stage-struck and has some histri onic ability. In his autobiography he says: "My boyhood days were unhappy. My surroundings were calculated to warp the best of natures. Cant and cruelty 1 encountered from my Infancy. Had my mother lived, I might not have become an anarchist." Most's mother died when he was 10 years old. One year later the elder Most married again, and the typical step mother was Introduced In the home. He was apprenticed to a bookbinder, who treated him cruelly, but at this place he found opportunity to do much read ing, and he evidently embraced It. His antipathy to the church and all religious form was early Implanted. At 12 years of age he was locked up for 24 hours for refusing to learn the catechism. These methods failed to reform him. The little German towns were too small for him, and In 1864 he turned his back on the Fatherland and went to Italy. For four or five years he tramped through Germany, Austria, Hungary, Northern Italy and Switzerland. He en countered hunger and hardships, and often slept out of doors. His second ex perience in jail was at Glessen In 1866, where he was locked Tip as a tramp. Even then he was not an anarchist, but he was being made one, so he says, by the force of circumstances and cruel and absurd laws. He then went through many Austrian labor troubles, andwas In jail numbers of times. He soon "began to be looked upon 9 JOHAN MOST. BISCUIT as an old offender, and was treated worse in consequence. WMle In jail he Issued a bulletin called the "Nutcracker," written in cipher. He was sentenced to five years at hard labor for this, and was finally banished from Austria in 187L He re turned to Saxony, and soon got into jail in Chemnitz for making an inflammatory speech. About this time he fell In love, but his prison adventures necessitated a "post ponement of the marriage. He was mar ried later In Mayence. He and his wife led a cat-and-dog life for a few years, and then separated. He was elected to the relchstag In 1S77, and soon had to serve two months time for blasphemy. He went to London In 1879 and started a newspaper. He was often In jail there. In 1SS2 he came to the United States, but even in free America he has not escaped Immunity from arrest. He served one year on Blackwell's island, and has been In the Tombs. On Blackwell's Island, for the first time in his life, he was deprived of his beard, which partially hides his deformity. OREGON HUMANE SOCIETY. Preparing: to Celebrate Its Twentieth Anniversary. At the regular meeting of the board of trustees of the Oregon Humane Society, It was decided again to offer nTlzes to the pupils of the public schools for essays on kindness to animals and kindred sub jects. D. P. Thompson, Dresldent of the society, who for many years past has given cash prizes, will again award two general prizes of $10 and $5 for the best two essays on subjects which will bo given out later. Mrs. P- F. Burrell, as heretofore, will again award prizes of $12 and $8 for the best two compositions on "The Native Birds of Oregon." ComDetltion for the Burrell prizes Is open to all pupils In the state of Oregon, between the ages of 12 and 15 years. Rules governing compe tition will soon appear in the columns of the dally press. The coming 20th an niversary of this society is looked forward to with unusual interest. THE SUCCESSFUL BIDDER. R. L. Sabln, trustee of the stock of the Boston shoe store, sold the same to P. Pe ters, of the Portland shoe house, 247 Mor rison street, at S9 cents on the dollar. Sale begins Monday, February 5, at 9 A. M. These goods will be closed out at prices that will be a surprise even to bargain hunters. Men's shoes from 95 cents up wards; ladles' Oxfords, worth $1 50, for 35 cents; ladies shoes, worth $3 to $4, for 95 cents; rubbers, from 5 cents a pair up. Don't fail to attend this sale and save money. 247 Morrison street, between Sec ond and Third. a McKay Sets Matters Right. Lieutenant Grant McKay, of the "Volun teers of America, says some statements in an article In The Sunday Oregonlan of last week do that organization an Injus tice. He avers that the Volunteers take up no collection on the streets; that they have no band, except a bass drum, and that "Hobo Kelly was never one of their number, but was helped by them to a bed and food on one occasion; was then weighed In the balance, and, being found wanting, was "released." apt Beginning Monday morning, we will be gin the greatest slaughter sale of cloth ing of the season. We have decided to close out our entire line of clothing at prices way below man ufacturers' cost. We want the cash, and don't want the clothing. Here are some of the prices: Men's suits that sell anywhere for $12 to $15, we shall sell for $6 to $7 50. Suits that sell elsewhere for $20 to $25, our price $10 to $12 50. We have a large line of trous ers, sizes from 29 to 34 waist measure, that cost us from $4 to $6: sale price, $2 50 to $3. All must be sold without delay. Come early and get your choice. This Is no fake sale. We mean business, and want our money. UNION MERCANTILE CO. 229 Morrison, between First and Second. Billings & McArdle, managers. o "Beauty and folly are old companions." Likewise Hood's Sarsaparllla and good health. A PROSPEROUS COMPANY THE PENH MUTUAL, MAKES AH EX CELLENT SHOWING IN 1809. Largest Business Ever Transacted In One Year by This Grand Old Quaker Company. The 52d annual statement of the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company of Phlla delpMa makes Interesting reading to its policy-holders who now number more than bO.OOO, distributed over the healthy sec tions of the United States. The Penn Mu tual regards tMs country as affording ample scope for Its operations, refusing to go abroad for business because it recog nizes the peculiar hazards to which it might thus be exposed. During the re cent war with Spain, for instance, some of our companies were paying for dead Span iards, killed by Americans, with money collected from our own people. When questioned on the subject of foreign busi ness by a reporter of the Insurance Beg later, President West shrugged his shoul ders and said: "The United States is good enough for us. Being a mutual organiza tion, we have no right to assume hazards which are sure to increase the cost to our members. It is not so much the danger of international complications followed by war, though this is considerable, but It is the difficulty of proper medical selection and the burdensome taxation and deposit laws." The work of the Penn Mutual during the year 1899 fully sustains the just posi tion taken by Its president. Its achieve ments are at home. It wrote nearly $44, 000,000 of new Insurance on approximately 16,500 lives, and renewed policies on 65,003 lives, aggregating $141,000,000! These are .big figures, but growth alone has little weight with those who thoroughly un derstand life insurance. Growth must be healthful, consistent, just, gainful. There are many elements of the business. Those who recognize their trust obligations must so manage a company that while It shall grow, it shall not do so by disregarding any of the equities of the membership. This Is peculiarly so In the case of a mu tual company, and a close analysis of the E2d statement enables us to commend the management for scrupulous integrity In this regard. Parallel with the notable Increase in membership there has been a correspond ing addition to the premium and interest incomes, a gain in assets and a substan tial gain in surplus, which guarantees a further increase In dividends to members, thus materially reducing the cost of their policies. The total surplus now carried Is $-1,990,620 22; and, while this Is appar ently a very large sum, it Illustrates the conservatism of the management, and a determination to fully safeguard the mem bers. The current year's dividends will be deducted from this amount. There is in many quarters a strong conviction that some of the life companies are too ex pensively managed. Whether well founded or not, this opinion has no application to the Penn Mutual, which transacted the largest business In Its history In 1893 at a less ratio than in 1893, the per centage of expense being much smaller than In many larger Institutions, showing that an intelligent and efficient manage ment may materially control the cost of insurance by keeping expenses at a mini mum. The Interest earnings of the company were decidedly favorable. It realized from this source $1,948,921 85, which Is an In crease of $232,950 97. This was In the face of the well-known fact that the tendency of interest is downward. While there have been occasional flurries in which old-time rates of Interest have been com manded, It Is not now possible to annually earn such rates as formerly. Some com panies have, for this reason, already gone so far as to Increase their premium rates; but the Penn Mutual finds In Its abundant surplus. In its excellent returns upon in vestments, and Its high standard of re serve (3 per cent assumption), an am ple provision for the future. It Is The main business of a company to pay death losses. Alongside of this must run such prudence and caution as are the out growth of experience. Healthy lives and no others must be selected. Imagine a company loading Itself with persons un likely to live out their expectation. T cost of Insurance would be greatly en hanced, and deaths would multiply to an extent wMch might jeopardize the sta bility of the Institution. The gains of the Penn Mutual from mortality have been conspicuously large through a long series of years, rarely exceeding 80 per cent of that for which the premiums charged are adequate. Last year, with an expected mortality of $2,710,363, the death losses Incurred and paid were $2,007,989, repre senting a favorable balance of $702,374, showing excellent judgment In the selec tion of healthy lives and attesting the efficiency and care of the medical and other departments concerned. The total payments to policy-holders during 1899 reached the handsome sum of $3,965,047 05. of which $865,638 77 was In the form of dividends; by this much reduc ing their stipulated premiums. The sur render values paid to withdrawing mem bers amounted to $637,844 40. or about $100, 000 less than was paid In 1898. Perhaps no better test of general business conditions could be found than this feature of the company's statement. With a larger amount of business In force, fewer mem bers withdrew their accumulations. Dur ing the year the company added to the reserve upon policies the sum of $3,300, 658, the total fund now carried for the protection cf the membership (exclusive of surplus) being $34,127,478. This fund has beer prudently and wisely Invested under the direction of the committee oj finance. In city loans, mortgages and ground rents, railroad and water bonds, In loans to policy-holders, and on collat eral and real estate In use by the com pany. The exceptionally favorable rate of Interest realized by the company last year Is Itself the best evidence of the security and desirability of its .various invest ments. While the 52d statement makes no men tion of the various kinds of insurance Is sued, it Is well known that no company in this particular embraces a wider scope than the Penn Mutual. It has plans adapted to satisfy the needs of all classes of Insurers, and at rates corresponding to the Indemnity granted. Its policy con tracts are free from conditions from the start, requiring only the payment of premium. Large withdrawal values era stipulated, loans are granted, there Is an ESTABLISHED 1878 The only place where you can afford to buy on credit Solid quarter-sawed oak desk, with French mirror, antique finish. Very neat solid quarter-sawer oak desk, golden finish. $7.00 $8.50 Heavy brass mounted Mgh head and foot, $16.00 $1.45 This week-only. A cobbler-seat rocker, worth $2.60. Antique elm. Only one to each person at tMs price. .u H. E. EDWARDS, 185, 187, 189, 191 FIRST STREET extension system and all the modern feat ures are embraced. ' The Penn Mutual has built upon broad foundations, and, though It may seem a paradox, is at once con servative and progressive. It is an Insti tution in which one may place Ms life Insurance with absolute certainty as to the outcome. ' HOURS QUICKER To All Points Cast. From the Union depot are dispatched dally, by the O. R. & N. Co., two fast trains, which will land you In Chicago hours' quicker than any other line. These two trains run over widely different routes, ; thus giving you a chance to see different scenery, both coming and going. The trains are equipped with latest improved cars, both first and second class, and carry diners clear through. For full In- M 4.1 11 . tr A OITTTT T .TNT1 ' lUUitt L1UU toil Uil V .. fcJW HMI4I41 w, 254 Washington Street. Pianos Organs. Wiley B. Allen Co. AwvAAww STARVES MANY PEOPLE The Reasons Are Told Below. A pleco of bread that 13 dry, white and very light In weight seems to the thought ful person like so much foam or other useless and non-nourishing product. If one rolls a piece of mo!st light bread or the Interior of a biscuit between the fingers, a ball of dough is the result, with an appearance of solidity that makes one question how the gastric juices of the stomach- can dissolve, such a wad. It Is small wonder that such food creates havoc In the way of fermentation and gas, and consequent disorder. Many dyspeptics will find great help by leaving off the ordinary bread en tire ly, and using In Its place Grape-Nuts, In which the starchy and nitrogenous sub stances have been thoroughly and per fectly cooked at the factory before being sent out. There Is no possibility of the food as suming the form of wads of dough. On the contrary, the food Is already predl gested, the starch of the grains has been changed Into grape sugar In the process of manufacture and passes quickly and directly Into circulation. Grape-Nuts furnish the elements needed by the system to rebuild, particularly the soft gray matter In the brain and through out the nerve centers In the body. This statement will be verified by use of the new food. It Is delicious enough to recom mend Itself upon trial. All first-class grocers sell Grape-Nuts and the Postum Co., at Battle Creek, Mich., make them. EATA BISCUIT has come' to stay, because it is made of the best material, in the best way, and everyone is going to eat them. Packed in moisture-proof boxes as crisp and fresh as when they leave the oven. Sold only in Five and 10-Cent pack ages. Your grocer will have them. Why not Eata Biscuit? BISHOP & MAKERS PORTLAND EDWARDS Polished golden oak quarter-sawed desk, mirror and brass top rail. This flTilaht $13.50 Iron bed, extras Half brass bed, well finished and; ver7 strong and stylish. OUR REDUCTION 'tuahcH-aygjam CONTINUES ONE MORE WEEK SEE WINDOW GOODS 108 Third Street, COMPANY LOS ANGELES FOR ESTABLISH 13$ A good place to trade If you have the cash. good solid ken bed, white asasMl $7.50 $20.00 $1.45 This week only. A cobbler-seat! rookee, worth $2,39. Antique elm. Only ee to each person at tMs pries. GREAT SALE iiijjrijptfiiru - AND PR near Washington tpS