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THE SUNDAY OBEGOKIAN, PORTLAND, JULY 27, 1902.
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POR.TIAXD, SOXDAY, JULY 27, 1002.
j
FRAUDS OP THE HALF-WORLD.
Friday nlghfs prizefight bears most
striking testimony to the falsehood
upon, which the whole fabric of scien
tific pugilism Is sought to be erected.
The fact is that this contest of the ring,
like others, ls simply a brutal exhibi
tion. In. bruising. There Is no science
about it nothing but a fight which is
protracted till one man is licked. The
theory of prizefighting is that it is a
science; but it is not a science, for sci
ence Is classified knowledge; and as to
the .outcome of these contests, there Is
no knowledge whatever and no 'classi
fication or generalization is possible
where facts do not exist.
The expert view of this fight was that
10 to 4 was too great odd9. Granted
that Jeffries was the abler man, there
was the chance blow, and the possibil
ity of overtraining, and other contin
gencies, which the professed science of
pugilism pretends to take account,
some one or more of which might give
the battle to Fitzsimmons. Now the
record shows that Fitzsimmons was the
abler man, and that in a moment of
confidence he was taken off his guard
and "knocked out" by his apparently
defeated adversary. All the mass of
expert opinion that has wagged so nois
ily for weeks was put to rout in a mo
ment. How about the "old man" that
couldn't stay? How about this "human
monster" that was mysteriously en
dowed with some unnatural impervious
ness to blows that incapacitate the ordi
nary mortal? Behold him In the sev
enth round nose broken, mouth bleed
ing, cheeks laid open, wild In his blows
and distressed in his whole aspect, re
sponding with sullen ferocity to the tri
umphant leers of his apparent con
querorl The best conclusions this
boasted "science" could offer were ut
terly discredited by everything that
happened, and we are left nothing but
the naked fact that these two human
brutes pummeled each other until one
was beaten into unconsciousness. There
is just as much "science" about it as
there is in a bullfight or in the clash of
two savage tribes.
Side by side with the world of honest
Industry there Is another world of so
called sport and gayety whose devotees
live by preying upon each other and
upon the public. The breakdown of
"science" at the San Francisco fight is
a faithful indication of the utter falsity
of the hypotheses upon which the whole
pretentious fabric of the half-world is
built up. Prizefighting is not the only
pursuit whose innate rottenness is
sought to be covered by a veneer of fair
excuses. The gambler has a fairy story
about the doctrine of probabilities and
the similarity of his craft to the chances
of business; but It is all Invention. The
palaver about "systems" is merely a
cloak to cover a thieving pursuit with
the guise of Intellectual respectability.
The gambler chooses his way because
he is too lazy to work. He wants the
leisure and the white hands and the
good clothes of a gentleman, and he Is
morally too inert to earn them in the
honest way. It is just so with outcast
women. The tales of girls forced Into
lives of shame through seduction make
Tip an Imposing body of fiction, but they
ehed no light but what is false upon the
social problem. There is no more need
for a betrayed woman to turn prosti
tute than there Is for a widow or a di
vorcee. Women seek to Justify their
ways with the excuse that they are un
able to do anything else; whereas the
tact is they are unwilling to do any
thing else. They prefer the ease of sin
to the deprivation of honest toll. They
want the clothes and the leisure of la
dles without the price of hard work.
It is an ominous thing for any race or
nation . when these predatory classes ace
given countenance by the ranks of hon
est Industry and circles of social stand
ing and intellectual discernment. Where
the gambler deserves execration for his
dishonest levy upon the earnings of toll
and his corruption of youth, he too
often receives smiling recognition.
Where the pugilist should get that dis
repute which visits the female prosti
tute for sacrifice, of the body to base
uses, he too often is encouraged by the
victims of his laziness and cupidity.
Our modem fellowship for these para
sites finds its true parallel In the demor
alizing practice of the old Greeks, who
elevated their courtesans to higher dig
nity and honor than they bestowed
upon their wives.
The premiums demanded for insuring
the lifeof King Edward at Lloyd's are
still very high. The figures quoted a
week ago for an Insurance to the end
of July was 30 guineas for every 100
insured, while for policies covering the
5sk to the end of August 80 guineas
per 100 are asked. These rates, while
suggestive of a most gruesome proba
bility, -do not necessarily represent Im
minent danger to the King's life. The
risk upon a man of CO years Is at best
a doubtful one, and, of course, in this
case it is increased by the well-known
vitiated condition of the patient's blood.
While no doubt the King Is as well as
could be expected under the circum
stances, he is still far from being a well
man. The Insurance business, like all
others of a successful nature, is utterly
devoid of sentiment; hence it may be as
sumed that the premium for insuring
the life of the King for a few weeks Is
a business transaction In which grave
risks are declined.
GOLD OUTPUT AXD RISING TRICES.
When the Alaskan and South African
Impulse to the gold output first ap
peared, some six years ago, to the ques
tion whether an Increase in prices "and
resultant boom such as followed the
California discoveries of 1849 could be
expected again, the general answer of
experts was In the negative. The Ore
gonlan's opinion Inclined to the affirma
tive, and much that has since happened
certainly points in the direction of in
flation. The most satisfactory Indictment of
the quantitative theory of money is
that found between the pages of Lord
Farrar's invaluable "Studies in Cur
rency." His method is to minimize the
effect exerted by bullion upon prices.
In view of the fact that commodities
are exchanged, in ninety-seven cases
out of a hundred, for substitutes for
money, and that the old idea of a world
full of commodities being measured off
against the metallic money In exist
ence has been relegated to oblivion by
the modern development of credit. But
the answer of M. Paul Leroy-Beaulieu,
the French economist, to the question
of present gold production and prices
differs from Lord Farrar's. He .Is dis
posed to grant the quantitative hypothe
sis, but to palliate Its force in the pres
ent situation by reference to the multi
plication of commodities which are to
be measured against it "Will the
5400,000,000 coming regularly every
year into the world," asks M. Beaulleu
in the Economlste Francalse, "have the
effect of raising the price of ordinary
merchandise and the shares of com
panies which produce It? In a certain
measure such a result is not Impossible,
but probably only in a limited degree,
for the output In well-known markets
usually expands at "such a rate that,
whatever the demand, the supply Is rap
idly pressing beyond It."
The question gains In pertinence and
concern. In view of the reopening of the
Ramd mines and the Inevitable pro
digious accession of gold to the world's
circulating medium. After a short pe
riod the mines in the Hand, which have
been closed during the Boer War, will
not only hav resumed the production
of $100,000,000 per annum, but will have
reached $150,000,000. The mines of Aus
tralia, China, Chile, Siberia, India and
West Africa are likely to Increase their
output to such an extent that in 1905
the total annual production of the world
will amount to $400,000,000, as compared
with $100,000,000 in 1S85. M. Beaulleu
estimates that the total amount of gold
now in circulation Is $10,000)00,000. In
a quarter of a century if M. Beaulieu's
estimate Is accurate, the amount of gold
In circulation will be doubled.
If there Is anything at all In the quan
titative theory of money, and much as
new-school authorities have railed
against it, there still remains the sim
ple fact that gold, the only real money,
Is valuable for Its commodity proper
ties, this Increased production of gold
must certainly tend to appreciating
prices, unless offset by compensatory
Influences. M. Beaulleu points out that
the increase of population in the civil
ized countries and the development of
Asiatic and other seml-clvlllzed coun
tries will create a demand for capital
for the extension of present business
and the exploitation of new fields. The
countries which are now on a silver or
paper standard will consume a large
amount of the precious metal In the
conversion of their currency. There
fore, and for the other reason already
stated the multiplication of manufac
turesthe French authority expects no
noteworthy advance In prices.
There is no way of Judging of the fu
ture but by the past, and in the his
tory of the past six years there Is much
to persuade the unprejudiced mind that
gold production has increased prices,
and therefore Is somewhat responsible
for the notable business activity that
permeates the civilized world from the
United States even to the decrepit com
munities of Italy and Spain. The fair
est test of this matter is in those com
modities that consist almost wholly of
human labor, unrefined or complicated
by credit or manufacturing processes.
Here in Oregon, for example, we have
firewood sawn end hewn into cord
lengths. The farmer gets $4 a cord for
it today, compared with $3 In 189G.
Salmon taken from the Columbia River
sails at 7 cents a pound from the fish
erman's boat, as against 3 cents in
189o. The day Bryan was nominated at
Chicago Walla Walla wheat was quoted
at 49 cents; today it brings 64. Wool
has risen from 8 cents to 15, hops from
2 to 20, hogs from $3 to $6, veal from 4
cents to 8. While the gold standard
has established confidence, widened
credit and multiplied manufacturing
and transportation facilities so as to
cheapen manyommodltles, the things
that represent rough human labor have
j Increased tremendously in purchasing
power compared with gold. Making
every allowance for the increased de
mand due to Increasing ability of a
prosperous people to pay a demand
that will slacken at the first depression
and send, these prices of wood and fish
correspondingly down It seems impos
sible to doubt that the value of an ounce
of gold in human labor is less today
than In 1896, and by reason of Its great
er plenitude. An interesting com
mentary on this development could be
framed out of Lord Farrar's exposition
of the way In which multiplication of
credits offsets Increase in commodities.
Perhaps Lord Farrar's credits will off
set M. Beaulieu's new markets, leaving
the gold increase to work Its normal
effect upon the rudimentary processes
of exchanging gold dust for raw salmon.
A significant and timely contribution
to this interesting Inquiry is offered by
Mr. Bryan in his Boston speech. That
picturesque' demagogue never tires of
the refreshing assumption that the
heavy output of gold since 1895 fully
-Justifies the demand of that year for
the silver basis. Nothing could be more
Idiotic or more Insolent Not more
money, but less, would have been the
circulation's harvest from free coinage;
and instead of gold serving as a sup
porter of the silver contention, it is
highly probable that the discredit into
which silver fell between 1890 and 1896
contributed potently to the search for
gold and the consequent enrichment
and purification of the currencies of all
civilization.
WHEATS STRONG POSITION.
With July corn making a record over
15 cents per bushel higher thanwheat,
and oats selling up to within 2 cents per
bushel of the premier cereal, the slug
gishness of the latter at this period is
certainly remarkable. If we credit all of
this remarkable activity In oats and
corn to speculation, the fact still re
mains that wheat statistics show that
cereal to hold a much stronger position
than either of the coarser grains. The
visible wheat supply in this country is
down to 20,000,000 .bushels, the smallest
amount since 1898, the decrease in the
month of June being the heaviest in
that month for the past seven years.
Stocks of wheat in the United States
and Canada fell off over 11,000,000 bush
els last month, following a decrease of
17,500,000 bushels In May and 22,731,000
bushels in April, a total of nearly 52,000,
000 bushels for the second quarter of the
year.
In Europe-the supplies decreased 12,
000,000 bushels In May and June, com
pared with decreases of only 2,000,000 for
the corresponding periods in 1901 and
1900. The men who have put up their
money to force the price up on corn
and oats are confronted with a crop of
the former which promises to be a record-breaker,
while the oats crop Is also
much larger thanusual. With wheat
it Is generally admitted that the crop
of 1902 is 125,000,000 bushels smaller than
that of 1901. and some very reliable au
thorities have estimated, the prospective
yield as-high as 150,000,000 bushels small
er than that of last year. The uses to
which com and oats can be put are lim
ited in comparison with wheat, and It
accordingly became necessary -for the
operators who secured control of these
cereals to buy on purely speculative ac
count much larger proportionate quan
tities than they would have been obliged
to buy of wheat. In other words, If the
same clique which cornered corn and
oats had engineered a wheat deal on
the same magnificent scale, the great
demand for the cereal for other than,
speculative purposes would have helped
them to lift prices without the necessity
for such an excessive outlay, and they
would have had no such unwieldy
"corpse" on hand as was left after the
close of the corn deal.
Wheat at the present time Is suffering
from a lack cf attention from the spec
ulative public The American visible,
as announced last Monday, was over
7,000,000 bushels smaller than on a cor
responding date last year, 25,500,000
bushels smaller than on a corresponding
date In 1900, and 10,500,000 bushels small
er than In 1899. With the American vis
ible down near low-water mark, and the
coming crop estimated at 125,000,000
bushels less than that of last year, a
great deal of bullishness might be ex
pected from these figures alone. An
other and equally Important factor In
the situation Is the heavy damage
caused by excessive rains. Some Idea
of the extent of this damage Is shown
by the receipts In Chicago for the week
ending July 19, but 5 per cent of which
graded. No. 2, compared with CI per
cent grading No. 2 on the same date
last year. This off-grade stuff may
hang over the market for a time and
hold prices down, but the foreigners will
not take it to sour on ocean passage,
and it must pas3 into competition with
com and oats for animal food, and thus
go out of competition with good wheat,
much to the advantage of price In the
former.
Ninety-cent com Is of but little bene
fit to the farmers of the Pacific North
west, but if some speculative philan
thropist will take advantage of the
strong statistical position of wheat and
give it a twist, the 40,000,000-bushel crop
now coming on here would be worth
several million dollars more than It Is
worth at the present time. Speculation
in food products is not always regarded
favorably, but It Is apparently the one
thing lacking In the wheat market at
the present time.
"HIS SOUL GOES MARCHING ON."
"John Brown, of Osawatomle," 13 a
stupendous subject. That Is to say, his
name suggests a stupendous era In our
history. In which he appeared upon the
stage intermittently for a term of years
as, martyr or fanatic, according to the
Interpretation of those who witnessed
the play and sympathized with or rep
robated his part In It, and shuddered or
rejoiced over Its tragical ending. If
anybody Is inclined to regard the state
ment that his "soul goes marching on"
as fanciful merely, the fact that the
life, character and exploits of the old
man pass under review periodically
should do much to dispel such doubt
Criticism has abated much of Its harsh
ness In the more than forty-three years
that have passed since the closing scene
on the scaffold In Charlestown, Va.. De
cember 2, 1859, witnessed the end of
John Brown's struggle for life and free
dom. As "old John Brown" he has become
known to history, though as a matter
of fact he had not yet reached his 60th
birthday. Old in endeavor, however,
he certainly was, since his life had been
a strenuous one from his cradle. Sixth
in descent from Peter Brown, a carpen
ter by trade and a Puritan by intense
conviction, who was one of the Bturdy
company that landed on Plymouth
Rock, December 22, 1620, John Brown, of
Osawatomle, was what he was by na
ture, environment and training forces
which, acting singly, make a distin
guishing mark upon human life, but
when acting in conjunction govern It
with supreme power. Greeley says of
him: "John Brown had very little of
what Is called education; poverty and
hard work being his principal teachers."
Redpath, his Intimate follower and ad
miring biographer, says of him: "He
was no politician. He despised that
craes with all the energy of his deter
mined nature. He was too large a man
to stand on any party platform. He
planted his feet on the 'Rock of Ages'
the Eternal Truth and was therefore
never shaken in his policy or his prin
ciples." He was a hard-working, but
not an accumulative, man. and, though
Intensely attached to his secluded home
at North Elba, In the Adlrondacks, to
which place his body was borne from
the scaffold to the grave, he was for
the greater part of his life a wanderer,
remaining comparatively few years in
any one place.
"A fanatic," say some, "In his views
upon the slavery question." "A mar
tyr to the cause of truth and right,"
say others. Without stopping to dis
cuss these diverse opinions, the bitter
ness of which has long since died out. It
can truly be said that he was an 1m-
practical man, who was personally over
whelmed by the fearlessness with which
he
backed his principles by his effort
The
pronounced character of his en-
deav
that
or gave such affright to the state
a chronicler of the time savs:
"Virginia held her breath until -she
heard the old, man was dead."
Yet the subtle Inference of this same
endeavor calm, unflinching, devoid of
railing, earnest, determined was a
working force In the events that fol
lowed, terminating at last In the aboli
tion of slavery. The power of this In
fluence can hardy be overestimated; cer
tainly it cannot be clearly defined. Pos
sibly a fanatic, he was yet given a great
work to do. This he did In his own way
blunderingly, as it seemed at the time;
effectively, as It now appears, he did It
and passed en. He made no complaint
of the hardships of his life, which were
often bitter in the extreme, and he
gloried In death as an honor, and urged
his family not to regard the manner of
it as degrading.
It meant something to be a friend of
old John Brown In the time of his
need. Criticism, contempt, ostracism,
fell upon those who essayed this role
during the time of his Incarceration In
the Jefferson County (Va.) prison, and
who accompanied his remains on their
unhonored Journey to their burial-place
at North Elba. For years thereafter
none but the more radical of the abo
litionists spoke or wrote of him as a
God-fearing man, consecrated to what
he believed to be duty.
But the austerities of those days have
dissolved or disappeared In the trail of
the years; the gentle Influences of time
have softened the harsh judgment that
mercilessly fell upon his attempt to In
cite the slaves of Virginia to Insurrec
tion, and it Is now possible to find In the
stern conscience of the Puritan some
extenuation of as erratic and Ill-advised
a blow as ever was struck in the name
of freedom. The peaceful abolishment
of negro slavery through an uprising"
of those In bondage was a chimera bom
of Intense feeling. In the light 'of sub
sequent events, how puny and ill-advised
John Brown's supreme effort ap
pears! Yet, reading closely between the
lines of his life and its endeavor prior
to this, how Impossible not to see In
this wild culmination the logical se
quence of a coalition between the con
science and determination of a strong
and unyielding nature, to which half
measures, as applied to principles and
purposes, were unknown. And, after
all. how impossible in the multiplication
of words to add anything to the esti
mate voiced In the words:
John Brown'3 body lies molderlng in the grave.
But his soul goes marching on '
words deemed worthy to be sung as
supplemental to the "Battle Hymn of
the Republic," with the same hallelujah
chorus.
THE SENATE'S HIGH STANDARD.
The opposition to GQyemor La Fol
lette, of Wisconsin, vaunts itself upon
the alleged impracticability of his pro
posed electoral reforms, which are the
direct primary and the popular election
of United States Senators. Wisconsin
discussion is therefore reviving the old
question of electing Senators by vote
of the people", and the "stalwart" wing
are reviving the old argument of Sen
ator Hoar, which was recently put In at
tractive form by Senator Lodge In an
address before Yale University. No
stronger arraignment of the direct elec
tion of Senators Is apt to be made than
the one Mr. Lodge drew up in that ad
dress. He said:
It the Senate is placed, upon the same basis
as the House and la chosen In the same way
by the same constituency Its character and
meaning Impart, tho states will be hopelessly
weakened, the balance of tho constitution will
ba destroyed, centralisation will advance with
giant strides, and we mall enter upon a pe
riod of .constitutional revolution, of which the
end cannot be foretold.
Senator Lodge ignores the real and
obvious evil of the present situation.
Today in the State Legislatures the In
terests of the people are not seldom
sacrificed to the personal ambitions of
politicians who aspire to be elected
United States Senators. Weeks are de
voted to needless balloting for rival can
didates whose claims would be promptly
settled at the polls. Intrigues for re
election to the United States Senate
not seldom block the business of half a
dozen Legislatures. Delaware today Is
without any representation. This is
the criticism made upon Senator
Lodge's plea for the perpetuity of the
present method of elections to the
United States Senate. The Philadelphia
Press, a conservative paper, a warm
supporter of the Administration, re
minds Senator Lodge that the Senate,
which he has selected for defense, eu
logy and praise In his recent address,
was most deeply discredited during the
recent session. Senator Tillman vio
lently assaulted Senator McLaurin on
the floor of the Senate, and Senator Bai
ley assaulted Senator Beverldge in the
Senate chamber, but out of session,
even as Representative Brooks, of
South Carolina, made his assault upon
Senator Charles Sumner as he sat at
his desk writing after the adjournment
of the Senate. Senator Money, of Mis
sissippi, has been before the Police
Court for stabbing a car conductor with
a penknife, and another Senator only
escaped the Police Court by a heavy
payment. The Philadelphia Press fair
ly says that It Is absurd for Senator
Lodge to pretend that a body In which
such private and personal lapses are
not Infrequent would be In any grave
danger of losing in quality, submitting
to the hazards of choice by ordinary
American citizens In a popular election.
But the strongest point in this Indlct
ment of the United States Senate is
the fact that It was In the United States
Senate that Cuba failed of justice, that
the National policy which Cuban reci
procity represents was defeated without
a vote. It was the United States Sen
ate which desired to deny the Philip
pines a popular assembly, and refused
to give the Philippines the gold stand
ard which Its government trade, banks
and people demand. In the matter of
Cuba and the Philippines the Senate
was wrong, and the House was right.
The Senate is, the notorious engrosser
of patronage, the notorious evangelist
of personal favoritism; It Is the Senate
that Is conspicuous for Its record of In
creased expenditure. Nothing but the
personal remonstrance and expostula
tion of a Republican of commanding in
fluence, like Senator Spooner,, prevented
Senator Bailey, of Texas, a leader In his
own party and a man of superior abil
ity, from carrying his assault upon Sen
ator Beverldge to a most disgraceful
extremity. The point we seek to make
Is that the atmosphere of the Senate
must be exceedingly low and vulgar, or
men of superior natural parts like Eai
ley would not venture to degrade It
The Tecord of the United States Senate,
measured by Its manners, Is as bad to
day, relatively worse, than it was In
the days of slavery and "'plantation"
manners, when sectional hates were bit
ter and the whisky habit was far more
common than today. Senator Lodge
seems Indifferent to the fact that the
anti-Cubaif reciprocity cabal In the Sen
ate was permitted through the minor
ity rule to defeat the passage of a Na
tional measure asked for by the Presi
dent, by the House, by the- people and
by Mr. Lodge himself. How long does
Mr. Lodge expect thatrfhe United States
Senate's present method of election will
survive the destruction of popular re
spect for- the political atmosphere and
political record of the Senate?
The Senate Is responsible, through
Senator Hawley and his clique, for the
failure of the Army reorganization
measurea Secretary Root, a very able
man. proposed measures of far-reaching
Army reform, which have been beaten
by the spite of General Miles and his
friends on both sides of the Senate
chamber. Of course, the worst sin of
all was the Senate's defeat of Cuban
trade reciprocity. The President digni
fied it by making it the subject of a
special message, but the Senate was
permitted to kill It There are some
fine, patriotic men In the United States
Senate, notably Senator Spooner, of
Wisconsin, who was a gallant soldier of
the Union In his youth, and eloquently
resents any mean assault upon the
American soldier today; then there are
Senators Piatt of Connecticut and For
aker of Ohio, who stand up stiffly for
the American flag and all It Implies.
But there are too many in the United
States Senate from the North who were
sent there simply because they were
successful money-makers, men of no
political Intelligence, nor any financial
intelligence, either, because a man may
be a narrow-minded, sharp trader and
have not the slightest knowledge or
grasp of a broad question of National
finance. One of the most successful and
brilliant bank offlclals of- New York
City was a rabid "free-sllverlte" and
supporter of Bryan.
Music, as taught in the public schools
of this city, would be a Joke, were It
not that In waste of time and generally
unsatisfactory not to say harmful re
sults It Is somewhat too serious to per
mit this classification. As It Is, It Is a
common joke among the teachers of the
lower grades, who are required to In
struct their classes In the rudiments of
music, having been compelled to take a
course of Instruction themselves for a
period cf six months In order to do this
wtlh some show of acceptability. Fancy
the result Young women who have
neither time nor tune, some of whom
(without discredit to their necessary
qualifications as public school teachers)
can with difficulty tell "Yankee Doodle"
from "Old Hundred," must go through
the squeaking, rasping farce of teach
ing their pupils to sing! No wonder the
children learn to whang simple ditties
through their noses and croak like frogs
in attempting notes too high for their
vocal powers. No wonder that teachers
dread the weekly or fortnightly visit of
the superintendent of music (?) and
breathe a sigh of relief when It is over,
or that mothers at home, who have
6ome Idea of harmony and a wholesome
disgust for nasal tones, clap their hands
distractedly to their ears when their
little daughters sing school songs to
their dolls, while their young sons, In
shrill falsetto-, 'attempt to drown thejr
sisters' voices. Running all children
without regard to their natural tenden
cies through the drawing .mill is bad
enough, but that, at least, Is a silent
educational fad, while the fad for music
makes itself heard in discordant notes
above the cheerful sounds of family life
In hundreds of well-ordered homes.
As a church that holds fast to the
traditions of orthodox, the body known
as the United Presbyterians Is conspicu
ous among Protestant denominations.
Eschewing argument, It meets Intelli
gent doubt with denial and reassertlon
of Ironclad belief. Higher criticism of
the Bible It denominates unbelief under
a specious literary name, and It reaf
firms Its unswerving adherence to the
historical belief of the Protestant church
in the verbal Inspiration and Inerrancy
of the Scriptures. A position of this
kind leaves no room for argument It
shuts off all opportunity for the exer
cise of reason, and seeks boldly to stifle
legitimate Inquiry. The research of
scholars Is Ignored and the reverent in
quiry of godly men Is stigmatized as
unholy. Said John Greenleaf Whlttler,
poet, of reverence and humility:
I walk with bare, hushed feet the ground
Ye tread with boldness shod;
I dare not fix with mcto and bound
The love and power of God.
It Is pleasant to believe that the
dank and file of the membership of
the churches, no doubt Including tho
one above mentioned, indorso the ten
der, reverent, humane view of the Qua
ker poet rather than the tenets of a
stiff-necked theology that seeks to "fix
with mete and bound the love" and
power of God."
Several months since the Port of Port
land Commission received bids for a
drydock, and found that the lowest was
$190,000 or more. All were rejected.
Now the contract has been let for $162,
000. So the board knew just what it
was doing when It declined to be hur
ried. A drydock Is needed, and needed
badly; but the public wants the right
kind of a dock and the right kind of a
price. The latter seems to be assured
by the care and prudence of the com
mission. We shall know about the for
mer In course of time.
Bryan Is against prosperity "until It
enables the father to educate his fam
ily," basing the complaint on the fact
that some boys have to sell papera
This Is, In effect, his old solicitude that
the poor, are not rich. So long as any
body could be better off than he Is, our
Government Is a failure. The unthink
ing nature which Bryan credits his fol
lowers with Is one of the wonders of the
modern world.
The visiting Callfornlan who wants
Increased ringing of street-car bells
must be the confederate of the eye doc
tors, for much more of that sort of
aolse would tend to deafen the entire
population. The man who drives pell
mell across a street-car track without
first looking to see if a car la In sight,
whether In San Francisco or Portland,
has a thing or two to learn about met
ropolitan life.
And now they say that Liang Chen
I3 also very handy with the Interroga
tion point Mr. Wu- was unique in this
particular, and we delighted, in him,
but we had hoped that his successor
might give us something nevf. There
are questions in regard to our treatment
of the Chinese that too frequently and
too politely pressed become embarrassing.
SPENCER'S LAST WORD.
New York Times.
"The volume herewith issued I can say
with certainty will be my last"
So writes Herbert Spencer in the pref
ace to "Facts and Comments."
The sage has finished his self-imposed
task and lays down his pen. To all his
innumerable disciples this little proem to
his final message to the world will have
a touching significance. For many It will
deepen greatly the realization of what
they owe him. To that debt this volume
adds greatly. Fragmentary though It
may be said to be. In the sense of a lack
of systematic correlutionship, yet it bears
everywhere the marks of a mature phi
losophy, as complete and as consistent as
it is probably given to any human philos
ophy to be. It is most appropriate that
the very last of these brief essays on a
greaf variety of subjects should be one
on "Ultimate Questions," thcfe involving
the Great Enigma of space, time and ex
istence. The aim of all Mr. Spencer's studies. It
can be said without denial even by the
enemies of -what he taught has been the
naked truth of things. That he has al
ways been honest in, it is to be hoped,
above all sincere question. That he is
wrong in the literal logic which he haa
applied to the problems of religion any
one may believe. If he can. But he was
certainly not wrong In presenting his own
conscientious conclusions at their best,
and In supplementing them, even on the
verge of the grave, with a last word,
the fruit of supreme inward contempla
tion. "It Is commonly supposed," he says,
"that those who have relinquished the
creed of Christendom occupy themselves
exclusively with material interests and
material activities thinking nothing of
the How and the Why, of the Whence
and tho Whither. It may be so with some
of the uncultured, but it Is certainly not
so with .many of the cultured. In the
minds of those intimately known to me,
tho 'riddle of existence' fills space far
larger than the current conception fills in
the minds of men In general."
In the course of this essay he makes
what he considers the nearest approach
that is possible to a definition of con
sciousness. Just before It Is the trite re
mark: "It ems a strange and repug
nant conclusion that with the cessation
of consciousness at death there ceases to
be any knowledge of having existed." As
to consciousness, he continues: "We can
only infer that it is a specialized and
individualized form of that Infinite and
Eternal Energy which transcends both
our knowledge and our Imagination and
at death Its elements lapse into the In
finite and Eternal Energy whence they
were derived."
That may be regarded as the best sim
ilitude of a creed that pure scientific Dhl
losophy has ever proposed. It certainly
goeo a step beyond agnosticism, unless
tho fact that It is Inference and not be
lief be pleaded.
The thought which he gives us as to
space Is awe-Inspiring. Ho says:
Thclst and amostlc must agree In recognis
ing the properties of space as Inherent, eternal,,
uncreated as antecedtng all creation, it crea
tion has taken place, and all evolution. If evo
lution has taken place. Hence if we could
penetrate the mysteries of existence there
would remain still more transcendent myste
ries. . . . And then comes the thought of
this universal matrix itself, antecedlng alike
creation or evolution, whichever be assumed,
and Infinitely transcending both, alike In ex
tent and duration; since both, if conceived at
all. must be conceived as having had beginnings,
while space had no beginning. The thought
of this blank form of existence which, explored
In all directions as far as Imagination can
reach, has, beyond that, an unexplored region
compared with which that part which imagina
tion has traversed is but Infinitesimal the
thought of a space compared to which our
Immeasurable sidereal system dwindles to a
point, is a thought too overwhelming to be
dwelt upon. Of late yean the consciousness
that without orlcln or cause infinite space has
ever existed, and must ever exist, produces In
mo a feeling from which I shrink
After that come the two words, "Tho
End," and the volume Is closed. It is
closed. It Is like the locking of tho door
of exit from life after the entity has
passed out
There Is undeniable sadness In this In
evitable blank wall of nothingness against
which exhaustive philosophy must find
Itself estopped. And that such sadness
should cast Its gray hue over the culmi
nation of an existence like that of Her
bert Spencer, that it should be the reward
of Intellectual labor carried to . the great
est pitch of sublimation. Is as Inexplica
ble to mnny as a metaphysical problem,
as infinity Id in the light of physic.1?.
Tho nature of "Facts and Comments"
is chiefly that of dropped threads of phil
osophic research. Much of it, however,
relates to sociology and some portions to
the ethics of business and politics. Most
of the deep problems of our latter-day
civilization are considered. The univer
sality of the author'3 studies is most
striking. He devotes several pages to
fundamental criticism of music, in which
many critics whose talents are cast In the
stereotyped molds may find much Im
plied rebuke. There is nothing more con
vincing than tys short treatise on "Feel
ing versus Intellect," in which he shows
that the former is the chief component
of mind. An over-valuation of teaching,
he finds. Is necessarily a concomitant of
the erroneous Interpretation of mlnfl
which undervalues tho emotional nature.
The feelings are really the masters, the
intellect the servant. The assumption
that when men are taught what Is right
they will do what is right, is contradicted
by everyday experience. "Were it fully
understood." he concludes, "that the emo
tions are tho masters and the Intellect he
sen-ant. It would be seen that little can
be done by improving the servant while
the masters remain unimproved."
What Mr. Spencer calls "rebarba-lz3-tlon"
he regards as due to the excessive
cultivation of athletics and the exalta
tion of war and he showshow Imperial
ism Is slavery for the upper as well na
the nether classes, for the Emperor as
well as the vassal. He marks the British
tendency toward more pronounced Impe
rialism, particularly in the lessening of
the legislative functions of Parliament
and In the usurpation of them by the
Ministry. He finds the same oppression
In the excessive taxation of today as in
the corvee exacted from the peasantry
by the nobles under the feudal regime.
He utters this warning for men who glory
in their country's military supremacy:
"So long ns they continue to conquer
other peoples and to hold them in subjec
tion, they will readily merge their per
sonal liberties In the power of the state
end hereafter as heretofore accept the
slavery that goes along with imperial
ism." Under the head of "Patriotism"
he denounces the methods by which Eng
land has acquired over SO territorial pos
sessions; her practical annexation of the
Soudan and her interference In the Inter
nal affairs of the Transvaal, making "re
sistance the excuse for desolating, war."
Mr. Spencer has a word to say about
"use-inheritance" in opposition to the the
ory that all the phenomena of evolution
may be explained by "the sufficiency of
natural selection."
The WcnkeMt Thliiff.
Which ! the weakest thing of all
Mine heart can ponder?
The sun a little cloud can pall
With darkness yonder?
The cloud, a little wind can move
Where'er it listeth?
The wind, a little leaf above.
Though sere, reslsteth?
What time that yellow leaf was green,
t My days were gladder;
But now, whatever Spring may mean.
I must crow sadder.
Ah, me! a leaf with sighs can wring
My llpd asunder?
Then Is mine heart the weakest thing
Itself can ponder.
Tet. Heart, when sun and cloud are pined
And drop together.
And at a blast which is not wind
The forests wither.
Thou, from the darkening deathly curse
To sjory breakest.
The Strongest of the universe
Guarding the weakest.
Elisabeth Barrett Browning.
THINGS LOCAL AND OTHERWISE.
Once more a movement Is on foot to
establish a public market on the old
Mechanics' Pavilion block. If a consider
able number of Portland housewives had
the "market" spirit a central place for
distributing "garden truck" would have
been established years ago. The trouble
Is that no start was ever made. In
early days, Portland lacked the German
gardener who, cultivating 10 or 13 acres
of rich soil near a city, could win. a
competency before he was 45 and send
his younger boys to college. Only those
Portland women who learned it else
where know the convenience and com
fort of a well-regulated market Na
tives have missed the exertion and the
pleasure of "shopping" three timei. a
week. Immediately after breakfast, 'lay
ing In supplies of perishable food. Car
rying the market basket Is one burden
that has not been laid on the Portland
woman's back. Beginning a generation
ago, the Chinese gardener, with a deep,
well-filled basket at each end of a pole,
visiting the kitchen stoop every morn
ing, was a boon to the average house
wife, and In later years the Industrious
Italian carting his fresh products has
been no unwelcome visitor.
But In a market you get an "assort
ment." If the peas of the first stall
look stale you prospect around until you
find some whose succulence Is above sus
picion. If everything some day Is not
up to your standard you can at least
make a choice among the second rate.
And In every half good market you will
always find flowers, not florists offerings,
but tho sort that you would like to pick
out of your own garden, suited to a slend
er purse. There Is a sociability, too,
at market that you will find nowhere else
at that time of day. You are sure to
meet half your neighbors there and to
receive and give a good many cheerful
greetings, and maybe hear a bit of In
teresting news. Women who are able
to keep carriages do not consider market
ing beneath their dignity and use the
vehicle and driver when engaged In the
Important morning's duty. Senators' wives
In Washington do this, using the foot
man as burden-bearer during the journey
among the stalls. Maybo Mrs. Senator
will meet her colored laundress at the
Spring chicken counter. The market
house Is a great democracy. v
One market is not going to be sufficient
for Portland. At least five will be
needed: three on the West Side and two
on the East I am familiar with an
Eastern town of 8.000 people where a
market was established by a small effort
and Is now one of Its permanent insti
tutions. Enough people live within
walking distance of the old Mechanics'
Pavilion to furnish profitable patronage
for, say 30 vegetable gardeners. Whether
they will be willing to visit the market
In preference to buying at their own
doors and ordering by telephone what
they cannot thus buy can be determlnel
only by trials. If demand for a market
in that locality be demonstrated It Is
certain others will follow.
" There was put on salo last week at
the leading book and department stores
a pamphlet of 90 pages, entitled "Roses
at Portland, Oregon, and How to Grow
Them." It is published by the Port
land Rose Society and consists of papers
and an address by Mr. Frederick V.
Holman and Mr. William S. SIbson. As
a foreword the society says of the
authors:
These gentlemen are not merely theorists;
they" are practical amateur rosegrowers who,
for many years, have cultivated roses for rec
reation and pleasure only, and as a relaxation
from professional worries and business cares.
Their experience In cultivating roses at Port
land and lta vicinity will be of great value to
every one desiring to grow the queen of flow
ers. They have kindly consented that this pam
phlet may be published to assist others In this
delightful branch of horticulture and floricul
ture. Mr. Holman as his share of the pam
phlet has done for rose culture what Dr.
Pole did for the study of whist, 1. e.,
made a book for beginners. Nearly every
other work on whist pre-supposes that
the reader knows something of the game
and begins with the refinements. Just
so with books on rose culture. The
authors assume that they are writing for
experienced rose growers. Mr. Holman
pre-supposes only a desire on the part
of the reader to grow fine roses and
then beginning with the a, b. c. of the
matter lays a sound foundation for the
culture of fine roses.
If a second edition of the pamphlet
should be Issued I hope It will have a
broader title. What is said about rosea
at Portland will apply with equal force
to roses at any other place In Western
Oregon as well as to Seattle, Tacoma and
other Puget Sound cities. The price of
the pamphlet is 50 cents and It Is sold
for the benefit of the Portland Rosa
Society.
In his talk last Thursday at Boston -on
harmony, Mr. Bryan said: "With
tho exception of the tariff question, the
Republican party has not In recent years
honestly submitted a single important
Issue to the judgment of the ballot, or
even to the judgment of the members
of Its own party." If Mr. Bryan will
look over the files of the Lincoln Journal
for June, 1S36. he will note an Important
declaration on the currency question.
Let him turn to the November files,
same year, and he will note how the
ballot resulted.
Sometimes it Is not necessary to sub
mit an issue formally and await the
result of tho ballot. About four years
ago a United States man-of-war was
destroyed in the harbor of Havana. There
was no vote; still the King of Spain
knows this country's sentiments. L.
Friends in Paradise.
Henry Vaughan.
They are all gone Into the world of light!
And I alone sit lingering here;
Their very memory la fak and bright
And my sad thoughts doth clear:
It glows and glitters In my cloudy breast.
Like stars upon some gloomy grovo.
Or these faint beams in which this hill is drest.
After the sun's remove.
I see them walking In an air of glory.
Whose light doth trample on my days:
My days, which are at best but dull and hoary,
Mere glimmering and decays.
O holy Hope! and high Humility,
High as tho heavens above!
These are your walks, and you have shew'd
them me.
To kindle my cold love.
Dear, beauteous Death, the Jewel of the Just.
Shining no where, but In the dark;
What mysteries do He beyond thy dust,
Could man outlook that mark!
He that hath found some fledg'd bird's nest
may know
At first sight, If the bird be flown;
But what fair well or grove he sings In now.
That Is 10 him unknown.
And yet. as Angels In some brighter dreams
Call to the soul, when man doth sleep;
So some strange thoughts transcend our wont
ed themes.
I And Into glory peep.