The Sunday Oregonian., July 10, 1904, Page 4, Image 4

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PORTLAND, .SUNDAY, JULY 10, 1904.
ANOTHER CRISIS IN THE PARTY.
The scene In the Democratic Conven
tion at St. Louis last night was an
extraordinary thing-. It revealed the
dissension in the party, on the vital
question of the time. Judge Parker
telegraphed that the party, if he was to
he its candidate, must understand that
he was for the gold standard. This
knocked the creeping compromiser out
completely. It cut deception out of the
contest Judge Parker has opinions, at
least on one subject He is a gold
standard man. But the party Is not
with him. Mr. Bryan is still its idol.
It is the most extraordinary scene
ever witnessed jj a political convention.
It exceeds even that witnessed at
Charleston, In ism, when the party split
on the slavery question. For that was
a concrete proposition; this Is a fiction
or ideality.
For the cold standard exists. It can
not be shaken. Yet the Democratic
party has tried to shake it and to over
throw It But Judge Parker recognizes
It, and insists that it shall stand. That
is, should he be elected he -would main
tain it His declaration shows that In
his judgment, and In the judgment of
those for whom he speaks, It Is the most
important of all matters before the
country.
This is "the irrepressible conflict" In
the Democratic party. No delusion ever
exceeded this one, entertained by the
Eilverite Democracy.
Yet the necessity of definitive or posi
tive utterance on the subject, as be
tween the supporters of the gold stand
ard and the advocates of silver, is Im
perative. Politicians have tried to com
promise it in vain. The subject allows
no compromise. Judge Parker sees it
as clearly as Cleveland saw it
The New York Times, supporting
Parker, said a few days ago: "The
Democrats in their great council at St
Louis n-ust affirmatively and explicitly
renounce the fatal errors of the past
by an unequivocal gold-standard reso
lution. The Republicans will Inevitably
cry 1G to 1 up and down the land from
the beginning to the end of the cam
paign. They will seek to put the Demo
crats on the defensive, to get them on
the run, to divide them, by raising a
sort of factitious currency issue. Their
efforts will be futile If the Democracy
declares it itself to be a gold-standard
party. But it must be manifest even
to a rudimentary understanding that
there can be no paltering, no evasion in
thought or phrase, no beating about the
bush, no shade or suspicion of conces
sion to the disappearing Bryan element
The convention must declare that the
existing monetary standard of value is
beyond question, either as to Its wisdom
or as to its permanency." This Is the
condition In which the Democratic
party now finds Itself. It illustrates
once more the truth that no party can
successfully palter with a great ques
tion. At a late hour this Saturday night or
rather at an early hour this Sunday
morning the outcome at St "Louis is
not apparent "What Is certain Is this,
that the Democratic party is on the
verge of another great crisis In Its his
toryall because it is not rational, na
tional, indeed, it never has been, be
cause it has no hold on history or ex
perience. It Is puerile, Imaginative,
half-baked, Immature. It has a sound
element within It, but no sufficient
leaven to permeate the lump. The
safety of the country must still depend,
as heretofore, on its being 6n guard
against the disposition, inclinations and
tendencies of this party.
"Whether Parver voted for Bryan, or
not, in 1896 and vV0, Is a question of In
terest to many; bfit the truth about It
probably never will be known. If Par
ker did vote for Bryan, there will be a
motive for silence; if he didn't, there
will be another motive for silence, of
onsosiU kind. Sfcere are multitudes
with whose views as to Parker It would
make a difference, and perhaps decide
their votes, if they knew he voted for
Bryan, and other and perhaps greater
multitudes with whom it would make
a difference and would decide their
votes if they knew he didn't In other
words, If Parker voted for Bryan there
are gold men who will not want him;
if he didn't vote for Bryan, there are
silver men who will not want him. It
is a ticklish subject,' therefore; and
Parker will probably observe judicious
reticence on It.
"ABANDON HOPE "WHO ENTER HERE."
From one extreme to the other the
Democratic party has now gone from
utterance of the most radical doctrines
to a conservatlvism so cautious and
cold that you cannot tell whether the
party has any policy or not It makes
no positive declaration, on any subject
It has forced the last two campaigns on
the money question. But on the money
question it has no opinion now. It
doesn't mention the subject, nor even
allude to it It doesn't even declare its
acceptance of the gold standard, nor re
new Its opposition to it though it has
fought the gold standard desperately
heretofore, and has staked everything
on the effort against it Yet there is
as much reason still for opposition to
the gold standard as there was former
ly. For the rest, it contents itself with
oblique and indirect opposition to the
policy and general measures of the Re
publican party, employing insinuation
rather than straight and open declara
tion. The appeal is merely to a sup
posed spirit of discontent; and this It
employs with a studied and rather re
markable Ingenuity. The platform
enunciates no policy, for the party has
none. Its whole effort is querulous op
position. The question then is as between two
parties, one of which stands for an
open, direct, vigorous and successful
policy, whose results are visible in the
prosperity and progress of the coun
try, in its safety at home and peace
abroad; the other In petty censure,
mere quibbling, fault-finding of trifling
description, opposition merely for Its
own sake, appeal to centers of supposed
dissatisfaction, draft on every imagin
ary bank of discontent. This is the
Democratic position. Such is the tenor
of the party's platform.
This party, assembled In convention,
could agree on nothing which it dared
to formulate as its own policy. It
couldn't even approve the gold stand
ard, and dared not renew its declara
tion against it On this greatest of all
issues in our modern politics It is pre
cisely where it was as to slavery, when
abolition of slavery was forced over its
opposition. It has not the courage to
deny, and is too reactionary to accept
It is in the position of a defeated con
testant and snarling critic, with too lit
tle magnanimity to renounce the past
and face the future.
The contrast will come In this contest
between the Republican party, that
stands for positive things, approved
through experience and confirmed
through peace, progress and prosperity,
and the Democratic party, whose pol
icy is that merely of the carper, the
critic, the destroyer, standing for noth-
I ing that can be affirmed, but only for
negations. A great country like this
will hardly be content to stifle Its ener
gies, sit down in the ashes of discontent
and feed on the thistles of pessimism.
Therefore we think it will not want the
Democratic party; for it doss not yet
feel that It is past hope and past
prayer.
CAYUSE JOURNALISM.
A Pendleton paper, that doesn't know
much about journalism, or anything
else, has this statement:
The Oregonlan cay, in speaking of the speech
or John Sharp Williams at the opening of the
Democratic National Convention, that "these
long speeches are usually sent ahead by" mall
In time to be put In type In advance, but this
one was not o sent, but came, entire, by
telegraph, as it tv as delivered." It may be
true that the long speeches In the trust-manipulated
conentlons of the party of The Ore
gonlan are written by clerks and stenographers
and sent to all the party boseca to be censored
and criticised weeks ahead, in order to elim
inate any compromising statement that might
be embarrassing in a "cut and dried pro
gramnu," but such a practice does not prevail
In the free and spontaneous programmed of
the National Democracy.
Thus the so-called East Oregonlan.
Now In fact many of the speeches de
livered In the Democratic Convention
came to The Oregonlan by mall, in
printed slips. It seems probable that the
one by Mr. "Williams wasn't ready In
time to be sent so far by mall; so it was
telegraphed to distant newspapers.
There isn't anybody In the newspaper
business except such cheap skates as
the fellow at Pendleton who doesn't
know that the press associations look
out for and obtain copies, as far as
possible, of all set speeches, in advance,
and send them by mall. We shall ex
pect and doubtless shall receive the let
ters of acceptance from Roosevelt and
Parker In the same way. No wonder
there are miserably poor and Ignorant
newspapers In the country, since a
clownish stupidity Is In control of them.
Yet it could not have been supposed
that there was such a stupid fool in
control of a little printing material and
a few sheets of paper as this fellow of
the "East Oregonlan."
LOSSES IN MODERN WARFARE.
It is an interesting fact that the losses
in the Japanese-Russian "War nave not
equaled on either side those of our Civil
"War, because, as the weapons of war
become more destructive, It obliges the
armies to fight at wider range, and with
the increase of distance less loss of life
Is inflicted. To Illustrate: The losses
of the Romans when beaten at Cannae
by Hannibal were greater than those
of any of the Napoleonic battles, for the
reason that It was a hand-to-hand fight
In a barbarous age, when the wounded
were denied quarter and no prisoners
were taken. So long as hand-to-hand
fighting prevailed, the losses In battle
In proportion to the number engaged
were fearful, as at Bannockburn, Hal
Idon Hill, Aglncourt and Towton. So
long as artillery and musketry were of
short range, with slow and Inaccurate
fire, they did not turn the fate of bat
tle. Gustavus Adolphus turned the fate
of his battle with Tilly by his cavalry.
So did Cromwell, and so did Marlbor
ough, who won Blenheim and Ramillles
with his cavalry- TJp to the days of
Napoleon, who was the first to concen
trate the weight of artillery fire on a
given point of the enemy's line, battles
were terribly destructive, because the
cavalry were able to wreck the defeat
ed army, whose clumsy, short-range,
smooth-bore muskets were no defense
against a charge of cavalry until the
art of forming a square with fixed bay
onets was Introduced.
Napoleon's destructive concentration
of artillery fire and use of cavalry
against Infantry that did not "take
sight" but fired from the hip at "Water
loo made the losses heavy because in
those days since no soldier "took sight"
It was necessary to get so close to do
any damage that any sturdy raw In
fantryman who could "hit the side of a
barn" could do as much mischief as a
veteran. At this close range the losses
wer elnevltably more severe than they
are today, when such close fighting Is
Impossible, when open-order fighting
and sharpshooting are universal In the
great armies of the Continent Smoke
less powder conceals the position of the
enemy, but it makes sharpshooting at
long range inevitable.
THE IRISH PROBLEM.
The preparations of our Irish fellow
citizens to extend the glad hand of pub
lic welcome to Connor O'Kelley, Irish
Nationalist, member of the British Par
liament from County Mayo, makes most
excellent and timely reading, Michael
Davitt's book, "The Fall of Feudalism
in Ireland." Mr. Davitt was a personal
actor and witness of the Land League
revolution, which began In Dublin In
October, 1879, under the headship of
Charles Stewart Parnell. "Within two
years thereafter the British Parliament
passed the land act of 1881, which com
pletely revolutionized the system of
land tenure that for over two centuries
had been upheld by English rule in Ire
land. This measure was followed by an
arrears act, which sanctioned a breach
of contract In such rents as were by
their conditions oppressive- to agricul
tural tenants, and by the laborers
dwellings act, which was really an ap
plication of the principle of state so
cialism. Then came the conversion of
Mr. Gladstone and the British Liberal
party to the advocacy of a home rule
government for Ireland and the conver
sion of the British Tory party to the
plan of land reform commended by the
Land League in 18S0, a plan based on
the assumption that the only solution of
the Irish agrarian question was to be
found In the purchase of the landlord's
Interest in the land by the tenants
through the means of a state credit
loaned at low interest In order to test
this method the Ashbourne purchase
act was passed in 1885, under which a
loan of $50,000,000 of the government's
credit was provided. In the first half
of 1886 Mr. Gladstone introduced a
home rule bill into Parliament Lord
Salisbury now returned to power, but in
18S7 his Ministry consented to enact a
bill which nullified leases, statutory and
other, provided for revising land court
rents, and carried other Land League
principles Into law.
Lord Salisbury's Ministry also In 1891
provided an additional state credit to
the extent of $165,000,000 for the further
buying out of Irish landlords, and cre
ated a congested districts board with
large powers for the further application
of the principle of state socialism as a
remedy for Industrial evils which had
been first expressed In the Ashbourne
act of 1885. In 1893 Mr. Gladstone, on
his return to power for the last time,
succeeded In forcing through the House
of Commons a home rule bill by a vote
of 37 to 304, but It was defeated In the
House of Lords. In 1896 the Salisbury
Ministry promoted the elimination of
the English rent system from the ten
ure of land In Ireland, and in 1898 en
acted a measure conferring a limited
home rule upon each Irish county In
form of an elective council for the man
agement of rural concerns, a "halfway
house" toward a central national as
sembly for the whole of Ireland. Final
ly, In 1903, the Unionist Balfour gov
ernment passed a bill appropriating the
credit of the state to the extent of $550,
000,000 for the purpose of buying out
what previous purchase acts had left
of the English landlord system In Ire
land. This is a brief summary of Mr. Dav
itt's history In detail of what Is justly
described as the last struggle for the
soil and rule of Ireland by the Irish,
which began in 1879 under Mr. Parnell's
superb leadership of the Land League.
This organization at one time numbered
more than half a million of members
Its sinews of war to the extent of over
$5,000,000 were provided by the Irish
people at home and abroad during a
campaign of over a quarter of a cen
tury. During this struggle upward of
2500 men and from twenty to thirty
women were imprisoned, including
every leader and conspicuous member
of the Land League, from Mr. Parnell
downward, together with several cler
gymen who joined the popular forces In
the contest against the English admin
istrative system known in Ireland as
"Dublin Castle." When the assassina
tion of Lord Frederick Cavendish and
Under-Secretary Burke took place in
Phoenix Park, Dublin, in May, 1882, Mr.
Davitt says that Mr. Parnell was so
horrified that he was only dissuaded
from retiring to private life by Mr.
Joseph Chamberlain and Sir Charles
Dllke. Parnell wrote to Mr. Gladstone
and offered to retire to private life If
the Prime Minister thought that his
doing so would in any way appease
popular or political feeling. By Mr.
Gladstone, however, he was advised not
to resign. Gladstone Introduced his
first home rule bill April 8, 18S6. He
was at once deserted by the present
Duke of Devonshire and moBt of the
Whig landlords, and by Joseph Cham
berlain and John Bright. The bill was
beaten by a majority of thirty In a
house of 656 members.
Mr. Davitt, commenting upon Par
nell's fall In 1889, through his adulter
ous intrigue with the wife of Captain
O'Shea and Its exposure in open court,
says that Mr. Gladstone was not re
sponsible for Parnell's deposition as
leader of the Irish Home Rule party.
Mr. Gladstone found that the Noncon
formist clergy In the British Home Rule
party had no clemency for Parnell, and
the Irish Home Rule part,y soon found
out that the Roman Catholic clergy of
Ireland would not tolerate Mr. Parnell.
Justin McCarthy frankly quoted to
P.arnell Grattan's words: "No man can
be lavish with his honor, or woman
with her virtue, or country with its lib
erty." Sexton told Parnell that "no
service rendered by any leader to any
cause entitled him to effect Its ruin."
Mr. Davitt says: "The Irish Samson
had pulled the pillars from beneath the
temple of a great cause in his own
downfall." Mr. Davitt never liked Mr.
Parnell, but he pays eloquent and un
stinted praise to his enormous perma
nent services to Ireland. Parnell was
In his 46th year when he died, October
6, 1891. He was not a Celt He was
not a Catholic He was born in Ireland.
Nevertheless he was immensely pop
ular with the Irish people with
out any Celtic qualities. He was a
cold, reserved man, a sober, unemo
tional speaker. He had, says Mr. Dav
itt, neither wit nor humor, eloquence or
passion of conviction, academical dis
tinction of any kind, scholarship or
profession. Mr. Davitt defines the .se
cret of Parnell's Immense Influence and
popularity as follows:
He was,' above and before everything elae, a
splendid lighter. He had attacked and beaten
the enemies of Ireland in the citadel of their
powerthe Brltlah Parliament It was here
where he loomed great and powerful in Irish
Imagination. As Wendell Phillips put it on
one occasion, Parnell was the Irishman iwho
had compelled John Ball to listen to what he,
in behalf of Ireland, had to say in the House
of Commons; and the personal force which had
done this, and had Aung the Irish question
and representatives athwart the plans and pur
poses of English parties, in a battle for the
Irish people, appealed instlnotlvely to the ad
miration of those in whose name this work
was accomplished.
EXPLANATION OF JAPANESE SUCCESS.
No man ever possessed more native
genius than Napoleon, and yet no man
trusted less to his genius or more to
the capacity to toll terribly by day and
by night In order to make victory cer
tain. Napoleon trusted nothing to luck
or good fortune. He organized for vic
tory by months of the hardest kind of
military drudgery.
It is this Napoleonic trait of prepar
ing in peace for war by organizing vic
tory through industry that furnishes
the explanation of the success of Japan;
Japan has left nothing to luck. It
has said, "We may be beaten In war
with Russia, but we shall not be beaten
by our own indolence or irresolution.
We shall at least deserve to be vic
torious by making the most of our mil
itary brains and local advantages."
When the war began, Japan had some
Important elements of success In Its fa
vor, not simply In Its well-equipped
navy but In the fact that the theater of
the war on land was near and accessi
ble. The Japanese In 1894 had fought
over the same terrain of conflict There
were many veteran soldiers of that
campaign in the Japanese army. In
Individual ardor and bravery the Jap
anese common soldier surpassed the
Russian private soldier, even as the fol
lowers of Saladln possessed more fanat
ical courage In battle than the common
soldiers who followed Richard of Eng
land. The preparation of the Japanese
for war was scientific, exhaustive and
minute. The military organization of
their forces was superior to those of
Russia on both a large and a small
scale. At the outset Japan was able to
place superior numbers In the field.
They were superior to the Russians In
both weight of fire and skill of artillery
tactics. They controlled a large number
of bases and lines of communication
and retreat, and finally they were su
perior to the Russians in mobility of
movement and power of Initiative.
There Is small reason to question the
judgment of the Londpn Times that the
army of Kuropatkln today is consider
ably smaller than the combined forces
now operating against it On May 16
Kuropatkln's available field force was
estimated to be 100,000 men, with 256
guns, and today, with the reinforcement
of the Fourth. Army Corps from Rus
sia, the Russian General is not believed
to have more than '150,000 men on the
line between Mukden and Halcheng.
The Japanese army Is clearly superior
In numbers, because It has Invariably
succeeded in outflanking the Russians
In their advance through the moun
tainous country toward the Manchurian
Railroad. The superiority of the In
vading artillery has been shown In
every Important engagement The
average Russian soldier is not a sharp
shooter, while the Japanese soldier Is
quite equal as a marksman to the ordi
nary French, English or German regu
lar, and In assaulting the Russian ln-
trenchments the Japanese have always
Attacked the Russian flank either from
the land or the water when they made
(a frontal attack.
) The Japanese have learned all the
facts of modern warfare; and their ca
pacity to learn and apply them to the
conduct of their own war Is proof of
their superiority In individual intelli
gence over the Russians. They are not
afraid to make frontal attacks on the
enemy's line, because they know that
the Russian soldier Is not as a rule a
sharpshooter like the Boer, and yet they
do not attack a strong position In front
except when they can assail It In flank
at the same time. The Japanese ven
ture against Russians what they would
not venture against Germans or French
men. They are practical soldiers who
measure the intelligence of their enemy
as well a3 his soldierly courage. The
Japanese have better artillery than the
Russians, and can handle It more skill
fully. Their infantry can shoot better
from long range. They have mastered
the art of logistics In war; the art of
moving an army rapidly, feeding It
surely and quickly; the art of concen
trating to fight and dispersing to for
age and feed. The Japanese have
learned all this, and Russia, because
she v has not learned it, is likely to be
worsted in spite of her numbers.
A DEGREE THAT RECORDS A MIRACLE.
Of all the college aegrees that were
conferred during the late commence
ment season, the most unique and truly
wonderful, and the one that, all things
considered, represents the most In the
way of learning acquired. Is that of A.
B., which Helen Keller earned "cum
laude" at Radcllffe.
For some years the public, or the in
telligent, sympathetic portion thereof,
has followed with Interest the efforts of
this young woman, who, from an attack
of scarlet fever in Infancy, was left
deaf, dumb and blind. The story of
the darkened, fretful years of her early
childhood, and of the subsequent inter
est that was aroused in her behalf
among teachers of the blind; of the de
votion of two women who taught her
the rudiments of education by patient
effort and curious methods. Is a famil
iar one. Recalling the facts in her case,
confronted by the tremendous handicap
with which she set out in the pursuit of
knowledge, one can scarcely believe
that this Helen Kelrer Is Identical with
the young woman who graduated re
cently from Radcllffe, the woman's
branch of Harvard University, taking
the academic degree. Xn this connec
tion, It Is said, she Is fully equipped for
her life work, which is announced to
be the altruistic one of teaching the
afflicted.
Miss Keller Is the author of two nota
ble books one on "Optimism," through
which shines a rare courage and con
tentment that can hardly fall to im
press the reader with a new meaning
of its title. She did not, It Is said, win
the full measure of the reward for
which she has striven. The faculty,
making an honest test, decided that to
be fair to others taking the examina
tion the markings must be made with
out regard to the handicap of this one
member of the class. Hence she was
graduated "with praise" instead of
"with great praise." This circumstance
gave rise to a report that Miss Keller
had absented herself from a class re
ception that followed graduation be
cause of her disappointment, whereas
in truth she was ill and unable to 'ap
pear. The fact is that Helen Keller's
achievement Is amazing. It, has been
well said that the "laus" the world will
accord her Is not measured by competi
tive standards, which must be undevl
atlng, but by that larger consideration
which can Ignore academic rules and
which will view her accomplishments
and grievous Impediments together.
THE HAWTHORNE CENTENNIAL.
The centennial anniversary of the
birth of Nathaniel Hawthorne, author
of "The Scarlet Letter" and "The House
of the Seven Gables," has been in
course of celebration among literary
folk since last Sunday. Hawthorne was
born July 4, 1804, a few days before
Burr Bhot Hamilton In a duel, and
Hawthorne died May 19, 1864, when the
fate of the Nation was in doubt in the
wrestle between Grant and Lee at
Spottsylvanla. Hawthorne's own sym
pathies were with the Union, but his
fine poetic vision made him doubtful of
our ability to pin the sections together
long with bayonets. Ex-President
Franklin Pierce was the only friend
who was present at Hawthorne's death
bed, for they were taking a carriage
journey together when the invalid
Hawthorne collapsed -at Plymouth, N.
H.
Before Hawthorne began to write we
had Irvlng's "Knickerbocker History of
New York." We had Cooper's novel of
"The Spy." We had Halleck's "Marco
Bozzarls" and Bryant's "Thanatopsls."
Emerson had written "Nature" and a
few other essays. Longfellow and Low
ell had both written some pleasing
verses. Poe had established his fame
as the author of "The Raven," and of
tales and critlcsms of extraordinary
ability; but the first Immortal figure of
the first order of literary genius to ap
pear in America was that of Nathaniel
Hawthorne. "The Scarlet Letter" ap
peared In 1850. No American book that
preceded It or followed It Is fit to be
named with it in original power and
charm. Hawthorne was a child of the
Puritans, but his poetic genius made
him repudiate the Puritan narrowness,
boorishness and bigotry. His Puritan,
blood revolted against the intolerance
of his ancestors, because he had the
soul of an artist and the imagination of
a poet Hawthorne retained the New
England conscience, but he enlarged
and deepened the circle of Its grim at
mosphere. He would not be a New
England preacher because he was a
born poet and artist, and In the power,
originality and beauty of his work he is
the only great figure In our American
literature. The rest of our men of high
literary quality are echoes of the cul
ture of Europe, save the Yankee dialect
poetry of Lowell.
SALEM'S PUBLIC PARK.
Salem has at last commenced the im
provement of her public park, common
ly known as Wlllson's avenue, and a
small sum of money has been appro
priated by the city for the purpose.
Several months ago attention wa3
called In these columns to the duty
which the Capital City owes to the rest
of the state In the matter of beautify
ing this tract of ground. At that time
It was remarked that a great favor has
been conferred upon Salem in making it
the capital, and the city receives many
advantages therefrom. The state owns
large Capitol grounds and maintains
them in excellent condition. Salem
would be ungrateful If she failed to
make the adjoining public park as
beautiful as the block upon which the
Statehouse stands.
But, aside from the question of grati
tude to the state, Salem can well afford
to make of the avenue a creditable pub
lic park. It would be difficult to men
tion any one Investment the city could
make that would make the city more
attractive to strangers than would a
liberal s"um expended on Wlllson's ave
nue. Every person who goes to Salem
passes this park, and his opinion of the
town will be influenced to a large de
gree by Its appearance. If the public
park Is neglected, the stranger will not
be favorably Impressed with the enter
prise or public pride of the community.
Nothing could add more to the beauty
of the city or give stronger evidence of
the good taste and public spirit of its
citizens than a well-kept public square
In a central location. Comparatively
few strangers ever get far from the
center of the city; all who visit Salem
get a view of Wlllson's avenue. Of
course anything that Is said in favor of
improvement must have a qualification,
for there are improvements which we
could better do without It is not many
years ago since all the trees in Will
son's avenue were trimmed Into cubes
and pyramids and other unnatural
shapes, until every one who saw them
wanted to get as far away as possible.
There Is such a thing as making a park
too ornamental to be useful too "ar
tistic" to be appreciated by the great
majority of the people. Salem is not
likely to go to this extreme.
A CENTURY-OLD TRAGEDY.
The "tragedy of a century ago," as
the Burr-Hamilton duel of July 11, 1804,
Is called, has been frequently referred
to In the past few weeks. Observers of
centennials, It was not to be expected
that the centenary of this sad event
would be allowed to pass without a re--cltal
of the story in detail, of how "just
a century ago" a "Vice-President of the
United States and a former Secretary
of her Treasury faced each other In
combat which proved mortal to one and
left an Indelible stain upon the life of
the other. The heights of Weehawken,
N. J., the scene of this fatal encounter,
still retain their wild beauty. History,
tradition and folk-lore have each added
Its quota to this tale of the century, the
telling of which even now causes the
listener to shudder.
The life of the man who went reck
lessly to his doom on the Jersey heights
on that July morning of a past century
has been" painted In colors both dark
and bright, while that of his slayer has
been given few bright touches to
lighten its gloom. It is known in a
general way that the duel which result
ed In the death of Alexander Hamilton
was the culmination of twenty years of
professional and political antagonism,
and that Its Immediate cause was some
personal gossip detailed by alleged
friends' that was unworthy the atten
tion of even so irascible a man as
Aaron Burr. For the rest, the so-called
"code of honor" Is responsible a code
that has been expunged from the con
duct of well-regulated, self-respecting
lives In the United States.
Events in the history of the two
men Hamilton and Burr as detailed
by the chronicles of their time, were of
a stormy character. The hatreds and
dissensions of the poliltcal world in the
first, years in which a republican form
of government was on trial were in
tense and bitter in the extreme. Bold
and scathing personalities marked the
speech of leading politicians. Whisky
was the dally beverage of the high and
low, and testiness Instead, of self-control
was the rule among men.
Perhaps, all things considered, Hamil
ton has been made a greater hero than
the circumstances of his life warranted.
A man of brilliant mind and all-pervading
Influence, he certainly was.
Quite as certainly he was a man of
great force and one who possessed a
vocabulary as scathing as It was bril
liant and exhaustive. Withal he was,
according to political standards, an
honorable man. All of these things, ex
cept the last, iriay at this distance be
said of Burr, but history adds that he
was a man without conscience, as
treacherous as he was brilliant The
records show that "Aaron Burr. Esq..
Vice-President of the United States,"
was indicted for murder July 21, 1804;
that he was acquitted of the crime that
cost Alexander Hamilton his life ten
days preceding the indictment; that he
survived the famous duel thirty-two
years, and died without remorse, un
wept and unhonored.
The ghost of a false code of honor
stalks through the history of these
events, though to the acrimony of the
political situation the duel on Jersey
Heights 100 years ago is In part respon
sible. A tomb in Trinity churchyard
somber and marked by the erosions of
time tells In careful lettering that Al
exander Hamilton lived and died; a
monument rises In the wild woods of
the Jersey shore to mark the place
where he fell 100 years ago. He was the
victim of the Intense hatreds that grew
out of the political acrimony of the
time, and of the so-called qode of honor
that has been outdated by civilization,
except as It survives among military
upstarts in foreign lands and among
men whose honor, except when they
rise pompously In Its defense, Is an un
discovered quality.
It Is profitless to recall the scene of
July 11, 1804, or rehearse Its sad Inci
dents, except as the retrospect by con
trast .shows unmistakably that the
world moves In the essentials of what
we call progress, and that political
methods do not suffer by comparison
with those of the times of President
Jefferson and Vice-President Burr now
a century old.
The list of vacation casualties prom
ises to be unusually large this year, If
the events of the first two weeks of that
period are a forecast of what Is to fol
low. Already five children have been
drowned In Columbia County while
bathing or wading in presumably safe
and shallow waters. The announce
ment of these distressing occurrences
should, and no doubt will, Increase the
care with which parents guard the
Summer sports of their children. Such
accidents are preventable entirely only
by keeping children from wading where
qulcksandsform the bottom of the shal
low waters that lure them, or where
soft mud lies at the bottom of the en
ticing "swimming hole." A more dis
tressing calamity than, that which. Is re
corded by the return of the limp body
of a child to the home that he left a
few hours before In full health and Joy
ful anticipations can scarcely be Imag
ined. And when, as In the cases to
which reference Is above made, the bod
ies of two or three children are thus
brought In, dripping and llfeless dis
tress becomes distraction. SympathyMs
the just meed of such distress, and its
lesson is that of increased parental
watchfulness over the natural and In
nocent sports of the vacation season.
Mrs. Mary L. Sltton, whose death oc
curred at her home near; Carleton a few
daj3 ago, was a resident of Yamhill
County nearly all of her long and useful
life. Since 1848 a date that has reced
ed from the memories of many who yet
survive as pioneers Mrs. Sltton had
called the beautiful Yamhill country
"home." There she lived out the full
measure of womanly usefulness, there
she died and "on a hill overlooking the
valley of North Yamhill" she was bur
led. The mists of fast-receding years
are between the old days wherein Mrs.
Sltton brought the hopes and energies
of her youth to the Oregon Country and
the time at which she went to her rest
Yet down Into the new era the energies
of her life extended and the fruits of
her long endeavor remain to tell that
she lived and loved and worked a use
ful, earnest woman through many
years. Of pioneers of this type It may
be said truly, "They rest from their la
bors and their works do follow them."
Lovers of Nature for whom a bit of a
climb 13 only recreation will be inter
ested In Mr. L. L. Hawkins' plan for
a skyline trail over Portland's western
hills, pictured and described on pages
36 and 37 of this Issue of The Orego
nlan. It Involves such slight expense
that It should be put through without
delay. Nor will the cost of a wagon
road to commanding heights be a bar to
its construction. Unlike John Law Olm
sted, Mr. Hawkins Is no scientific land
scape architect with plans too high for
Portland's reach, but he knows the to
pography of our environment from a
to lzzard. No citizen has done more
than he to stimulate outdoor exercise
and at the same time make the way
easier for those who And reward for a
hilltop climb in the Incomparable view
of city, valley, river, forest and moun
tain. Dr. Swallow, Prohibition candidate
for President, with the abounding sym
pathy for the defeated that has been
engendered by his own political disap
pointments, promptly wired Bryan of
fering him asylum In the Prohibition
camp. This Is kind. If the Nebraskan
Is wise he will accept the Invitation and
vex himself no more about National
politics. The sideshow headed by Dr.
Swallow Is not an exhausting function.
And truly Mr. Bryan must be tired.
Esopus is now getting new and fresh
attention, and a great deal of It Judge
Parker lives there. What we shall get
now from Esopus will probably be more
doubtful even than the works of the
great original fabulist But It is some
thing that Aesop gets recognition at
last.
The Japanese are not so slow. Their
country has 4567 postofflces and 51,347
letter-boxes. It ranks in this matter
next to Germany, the United States,
France and Great Britain. The number
of letters forwarded last year was 205,
000,000; of postal cards, 483,000,000.
Henry G. Davis, of West Virginia,
nominated for the Vice-Presidency, is
nearly 8f years of age. His distinction,
beyond that of his advanced age, Is his
enormous wealth. He is a member of
all the great trusts, and is to "work"
them for the caihpalgn fund.
Attorney Vaughn is entitled to say
with Mark Twain: "Reports of my
death are greatly exaggerated." He
still lives.
We may as well alL withdraw our
sneers. Something: cool can come out
of Esopus j
NOTE ANDjCOMMENT.
By the bye, wasn't Hearst a" starter?
Dry weather just now means a big
crop for Manchuria. Of corpses.
Anyway, Attorney Vaughn had a
chance to learn how much he would be
missed.
The explosion of a Thibetan Jong 13 re
ported. It appears that a lot of jlngals
were scattered In the jangle.
Nominee Swallow says to ex-Nomlneo
Bryan, "Join the Prohibition party."
Sort of a "have one with us" offer.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to the Aged should back up Mayor Weav
er in stopping the O'Brien-Fitzslmmons
bout.
No, Constant Reader, the hose cham
pionship won by Astoria has nothing to
do with the, dally display on Washington
street
Little boys that kept obstinately silent
used to be asked if they had lost their
tongues. Someone must have tried It on
Parker.
No doubt many Portlanders would re
joice to think that they played a cigar
machine merely to help pay the city's
runnlnp expenses.
The girl that hates to get up on a. Win
ter morning thinks nothing of facing a
chilly breeze in an open-work street-car
and the same kind of shirtwaist
The grass was pretty thoroughly trampled
down at Tacoma. onthe Fourth. Seattle Argus.
And was probably the only thing the
Seattle visitors didn't take home.
A preacher In Seattle robbed the mails
for money with which to buy beer and
to support local option. This is an In
stanco of being broad-minded to excess.
The Butte tailor who was sandbagged
by a man whom he was running his tape
over can't be much of a workman. A
good tailor would take a man's measure
better than that
The Portland Exposition will have a. new
gold dollar as a souvenir. They will he very
nice If anybody succeeds in getting back home
with one. Seattle Argus.
You can take home "2 for ($)3.'
Twenty-five cents Is the cost of an oath
in New Jersey, a man who swore four
times having been fined a dollar at Red
Bank. Even at this cut rate, a number
of people would soon be bankrupts.
The emancipation of woman proceeds
rapidly. Two Portland girls have been
arrested for pummellng a policeman.
Pretty soon the women will have to guar
antee some protection to the gentler sex.
Awful
Thawful,
Whether
Weather
Will be better.
Cooler, warmer.
It Is none of your business. You will
take It as It is, and say you like It
Mrs. Potter, whose hubby Is a bishop,
has been robbed of jewels valued at $50,
000. Can It bo that the church Is making
a belated effort to follow the stage's lead
In advertising? There Is no doubt that
crowds would throng into Bishop Potter'3
churches If only Mrs. Potter would con
sent to don all her jewelry for each
service. It would certainly give new
point to the saying about laying up, treas
ure where thieves can't break through
and steaL
Pathetic the scene when the tears
streamed down the honest face of Davo
Hill. Even tears of Joy Impart to the
spectator with a weeplness of his own,
and It would not be hard to have a whole
convention In tears If a conspicuous per
sonage would only cry long enough. It
Is highly gratifying to find that our poli
ticians have tender hearts, and that the
cares of the strenuous life do not dry up
the founts of human nature. "Weep soma
more, my David"; the dropping of thy
tears refreshes as the dew.
A correspondent, referring to a clipping
which did not arrive from the Liver
pool Post, says that Liverpudlians are
exuberantly gay with "Hiawatha par
ties," and asks for Information. Possi
bly the editor of the Po3t might be able
to lighten our darkness, but we fear that
accurate information is otherwise un
obtainable. One thing Is certain, how
ever, it Is a brave man that rushes In
where a fool might fear to tread, and If
Liverpool can produce men that will at
tend a Hiawatha party, there Is Uttlo
likelihood of her decay. "No doubt," con
tinues the correspondent, "in a few years
'Bedella' will reach them over there, and
we may live to see the day when they
learn the charms of 'Navajo. " No
doubt, Indeed. These barrel-organ tunes
seem to fly from continent to continent
like Marconigrams, and, by the way, it
is a fortunate thing that there are no
peripatetic Italians with barrel-organs to
make life miserable In Oregon towns. Tho
still-existent "Tararaboomdeay" was onq
of the first world-encircling songs, and It
was played as a British National air by
several South American Government
bands, as "A Hot Time In the Old Town
Tonight" has been regarded In many on
out-of-the-way corner as America's own
anthem. The "viewless wings of poesy"
cannot conquer distance as does the blaro
of a brass band or the Jlng-jangle-Jlng of
ragtime.
Now that Roosevelt Is a sober-sided
politician, a jaded public must look to
Judge Parker for the little spectacular
isms that form the colored supplement
of wrangleg over tariffs, Fllllplnos, gold
planks and gold bricks. Parker's claim
to fame as a Presidential nominee rests
upon one thing the ability to keep hl3
moutn shut Parker's claims upon the
attention of the common people are
many. To name but three piety, Pete?
and don't-care-a-hangedness. Parker eat3
pie twice a day jut-and-out sheets like
the World say thrice a day. Evidently
he might exclaim with Aeneas, Sum plus
Parker Peter, of course, Is the famous
red-polled bull that lords It over the
herds of Esopus; an animal that a Paris
ian newspaper compares favorably with
Boulanger's black horse as a holder of
public attention. As for the last of tha
three claims mentioned, see how the
Judge went to bed whilst the howling
delegates made the St Louis welkin
there's most everything at the Fair, so a
welkin is probably handy made the
welkin groan. He did not say, "If you're
waking call me early"; on the contrary,
he said, "Oh no account disturb my
peaceful snores." And In the morning
the news Is broken to him as he, drip
ping, emerges from his dally swim. It
13 easy to foresee that home life at
Esopus will furnish the political bioscope
with many an Interesting subject between
July, and November.
WEXFORD J0NE3.
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