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PORTLAND, SUNDAY. JULY 2. 1006.
KEUGION AND ITS INTERPRETATION.
Some thirty years ago a book ap
peared "Literature and Dogma"
which excited great attention in the
literary world. It was one of the books
of a series, in which a celebrated writ
er dealt with some of the literary prob
lems of the Bible. As such the book
also was a contribution to the study of
the philosophy of religion. It was re
ceived by the thinking world as the
book of the time, and it has permanent
value. New editions of it are still mak
ing their appearance, in all countries
where there are readers in English.
Matthew Arnold's literary Judgments
were of the highest order. As critic
and master of literary style he holds
a permanent place in general litera
ture. With the subjects treated in
this book, and others that followed it,
he dealt in a profoundly reverent spirit
As a contributor to the literary study
of the Bible, and to historical interpre
tation of it as literature, the world
owes him an Immense debt, which is
acknowledged from year to year by
multiplication of his readers. His work
also has borne immense fruit through
use of it as stimulation for other
writers.
In "Literature and Dogma" Mat
thew Arnold wrote: "An inevitable
revolution, of which we all recognize
the beginnings and signs, but which
has already spread further than - the
most of us think, is befalling the re
ligion In which we have been brought
up." Since this statement was written
the revolution basVproceeded further
than its author could possibly have an
ticipated within so short a time. That
is to 6ay, the old orthodox view of the
Bible and the theology of which that
view is the expression is already for
saken by more minds than can be
counted; for, by necessity, with the
relinquishment of this view goes by
the boa rcl the great mass of theology
dependent upon it. But the reconstruc
tion proceeds at equal pace with the
dissolution, for man is always and
everywhere a religious creature, and in
these times he is the truest guide who
recognizes the change of attitude
towards oid theologies, undertakes to
lead the people safely through it, tries
to occupy the new standpoint, and,
while tossing aside the old and out
worn material, grasps firmly the vital
truths of religion and proclaims them.
"There is no surer proof of a narrow
and uninstructed mind," says Arnold,
"than to think and uphold that what
a man takes to be truth upon religious
matters Is always' to be held and pro
claimed." We should say there was
liability to injustice In this remark.
for the ablest and best Instructed minds
often take a cast or color from the
environment in which they have been
formed. That they do so is not eur
prising. It would be more surprising
if they did not. - The tenacity with
which traditional views are held
though such views may contain ele
ments of error Is one of the chief
bonds of human society. It forces men
to re-examine new opinions, and ar
rests the destruction of any system of
life that has good in it, until something
better can gradually be built up to
take the place of that which can no
longer command assent. Such changes
are constantly taking' place in all sub
jects of human thought and action
yet are held back by the conservative
instinct till they have proved their
right to exist and prevail.
But religion- docs not stand with the
old view, nor fall with the new. For
religious principle sremalns a perma
nent factor in human life. But the
speaking must be done from a new
standpoint, and with a thorough recog
nition of the modifications that science
and criticism have wrought in the ma
terials aud combinations that have en
tered ' into the structure of our old
systems of faith and opinion. The old
machinery and the old doctrine will
not avail In this contest. It is pre
cisuly those that are the subjects of
Inquiry and dissent. A teacher who
has nothing but these with which to
meet the- assailants of religion may as
well retire from the field.
But behold what progress a better
conception of religion is making, when
under the new system, of which Mat
thew Arnold was so noted an apostle.
men held apart by creeds of long
standing can' unite on the new and
higher ground,' throwing aside the old
garments In which their religion was
accustomed to clothe Itself as in the
parable of Peter, Jack and Martin, in
Swift's "Tale of a Tub" and drawing
nearer to vital truths in the conduct
of life. The vital truths of religion
are all one, whether preached toy Chris
tian or Jew. toy Protestant or Catholic.
This is made clear, as the progress of
the- modern methods clears religion of
extraneous doctrines: and indeed
time comes, as the edifice grows and
rises to fuller proportions, when the
scaffolding used In its construction will
be gradually removed. There never
will be a perfected or absolute religion,
feecausa sua is incapable,.?;: JlU fiJiti
though we may never hold the truth
in its purity, we may hold enough of
it to make it invaluable for the pres
ent and fruitful for the future. It
ought not. however, to grieve any one
that religion, always finding new mat
ter to work in, and toy necessity taking
on new material, is continually slough
ing off the old.
We began with what Matthew Ar
nold said over thirty years ago on' lit
erary and rational interpretation of
the Bible and the necessary effect on
the theologies founded on the old but
no longer tenable view. We shall stop,
for the present, with a quotation from
editorial in the current number or
the Outlook, on study of the New Tes
tament, which as well applies to the
Old. "The student, says the writer.
should always remember that the
spiritual value of the writing does not
primarily depend on the question w hen
and by whom it was written. The
question is interesting and it is im
portant. Was the Gospel according to
Matthew written by the disciple of
that name, or is it composed of vari
ous incidents in the life of Jesus, and
sayings attributed to him. collected and
edited by Matthew, or toy come un
known editor? But the spiritual value
of the direction 'Love your enemies'
does not depend upon either the date
or the authorship of the Gospel in
which that saying is contained."
A VACATION HINT.
Involuntarily as one peruses the
thrilling account of Dr. Short wander
ing unshaken, unenticed, unterrified,
through the gilded mazes of the Oaks,
he recalls the picture of Daniel serene
ly eating his baked beans and sipping
his glass of water in the lions' den.
The story that Dr. Short wore tan
shoes on this terrible adventure is a
scandal; it seems, such as often dogs
the steps of the pious and the great.
He wore cowhide boots with copper
toes as usual. Clothed with his virtue
as with a mantle of triple steel, Dr.
Short invaded the glittering haunt of
sin, and pure as the driven snow he
came away. As Elijah passed un
scathed through the fire, the whirlwind
and the earthquake, so Dr. Short
passed through the Oaks. He saw peo
ple dancing, but he did not dance. He
saw them drinking beer, but he -did
not drink. He saw them squeezing
girls, but he did not squeeze. Forti
tudinous Dr. Short! There is a crown
waiting for him in the better land.
But if he neither danced nor drank
nor squeezed, what did he go to the
Oaks for? Certainly not, like the vigi
lant Dr. Brougher, to catch sinners
in the act. If that had (been his pur
pose he could have accomplished it
quite as well or better in his own
church. Indeed, Dr. Short, though he
detected a good deal of innocent gaiety
at the Oaks, beheld nothing in the
shape of vice. The trees were pretty
in the electrlo light, the lemonade was
cool, the music was charming. One
may fancy that he said to himself, as
he eat and listened to the band, "He
who finds sin here must bring it with
him in his own heart, pace Dr. Brough
er." It may be Imagined that the kind
ly doctor went to the Oaks to have a
good time; and if he did, what of It?
Jesus used to sup with sinners. If his
ministers did ,the same thing oftener
they would preach all the better for it.
Dr. Edgar P. Hill might profitably
put in part of the vacation to which
he will slip away, at rhe end of August
seeing the Oaks or some other place
where sinful men and women gather
and disport themselves. It would im
prove his sermons wonderfully to learn
something about that part of the hu
man race which is less holy than him
self and his plutocratic congregation.
He could intercede for fallen man a
great deal more effectively at the
throne of grace if he knew exactly
what sin was and how sinners looked.
It must Seem so lonesome to be the
only truly good man on the Pacific
Coast. Think of the awful isolation.
We advise Dr. Hill, therefore, to imi
tate Dr. Short when he slips away on
this latest well-earned vacation and
spend part of it at the Oaks.
CAN CANCER BE CURED
Science cannot say. Perhaps one
year from now, or two years, an af
firmative answer will be given to this
question that interests all mankind.
Public revelation of Dr. John Beard's
experiments during the past twenty
years made through the current num
ber of McClure's Magazine Is certain
to arrest attention of the world's phy
sicians, surgeons and embryologies. It
will set about further Investigation; let
us hope with beneficial result.'
In this day of wonderful discovery
and Invention it will not do to be In
credulous. Scientific men will receive
open-minded the facts presented by Dr.
Beard's distinguished press agent. Dr.
Salesby, who announces the record of
the work, is a Fellow of the Royal
Society, while Dr. Beard is of the fac
ulty of Edinburgh University, whose
standard is as high as any in Europe,
Neither of these men -Is likely to give
out a half-baked opinion; surely they
have not colored the facts.
Reading between the lines. It ap
pears that these deep students invite
both criticism and wider experiments
and investigation. They have opened
a new lead; others following It may
mine until the precious truth is found,
The result may unfortunately meet the
fate of Koch's lymph or fortunately
take a place with antitoxin.
MISLEADING WORDS AND NAMES,
Three words in the English language
are especially annoying. They are
"Remove," "recover" and "extraordi
nary." How infuriating it Is, for ex
ample, when one has been parted for
ever from a costly umbrella to see over
a shop window the -innocuous sign
"Umbrellas Recovered." The loser
knows, of course, that the honest gen
tleman who conducts the establishment
is using the word in the sense of "re,'
again, and "cover," to put something
on, but he wishes that the honest gen
tleman would be more explicit. Hav
ing in mind the sense of repetition in
connection with the word recover, how
senseless seems the word "remove," as
used by the merchant who is about to
vacate the premises where he is. and
move to another place. One uncon
sclously Wonders when he moved be
fore. The displeasing feature about
the word "extraordinary" consists in
the possibility of a' reversal in Its
meaning, should it -toe pronounced as
some authorities give It, namely: "ex
tra-ordinary." Ordinary means com
unon, and extra has a meaning of
more than usual. Thinking of it In this
way, extraordinary, could mean "more
than usually common." '
Using the word in this sense, the
nomenclature prevalent in the Pacific
Northwest some of it is extraordi
nary. A beautiful spot that perspiring
travelers occasionally reach is Inspira
tion Knoll. The gifted Individual, who
AmLisi ibaX flame, maz to bad.
inspiration, but -it has never been seen
n print. South of the beach that
stretches northward along the Wash
ington shore is Balrd's Hollow it may
be Beard's Hollow, in which case its
name probably has some reference to a
man with whiskers. In any event the
place is charming enough to be called
by a more poetic name. Still further
south, around by North Head, is as
beautiful and romantic a spot as one
would wish to see. Some not especially
gifted ass has inflicted the place and
posterity with the sickening name of
Dead Man's Hollow." Why not Rot
ting Horse Cove, or Sewer Inlet, or
something equally euphonious and fit
ting? SALT IN THE COFFEE.
Years ago there was published in
St. Nicholas, a young people's maga
zine which still flourishes, a story en
titled "The Woman Who Put Salt in
Her Coffee." Her efforts to neutralize
the taste of the salt and restore the
coffee to its original flavor were the
theme of the story. She tried all the
chemicals and drugs in the house one
after the other, a little catnip, a little
soap, a pinch of ipecac, a few drops of
vinegar, but without avail. Then she
called in the neighbors. One recom
mended hops, another smartweed. A
bachelor friend tried tobacco; the doc
tor threw in a dash of calomel. Still
the taste of the salt persisted.. . The
minister came and prajed over it. Tlje
Christian Science healer gave it an ab
sent treatment. The school teacher ex
orcised it with a formula borrowed
from Cotton Mather. The lawyer sued
put an injunction. Still the coffee re
mained salt, and the woman was In
danger of hysterics when some one
thought of sending for the Wise Lady
from Philadelphia. She was in bed with
the rheumatism and could not come, but
she sent a message which 'did as well.
'Throw the coffee out and pour your
self a fresh cup." This was the mes
sage, and it was marvelous how well it
worked. The woman did as sh! was
bid. enjoyed her sapid draught, and
went about her tasks in peace.
The story was intended to amuse
children, but, like all good art, it in
volves truth of world-wide and eter
nal validity. In fact, without too much
strain upon the imagination, the good
farmer's wife who put salt in her cof
fee might be taken to typify the Amer
ican Nation. Like her, we find our
cup too bitter to drink, and very much
as she did we try to sweeten it. For
example, we have destroyed our do
mestic shipping by barbarous naviga
tion laws combined with an absurd
tariff. The Lady from Philadelphia,
could we consult her, would tell us
that the best way to restore our mer
chant navy would be to repeal the
laws which have ruined it, but we do
nothing of the sort. We put a little
catnip in the cup, we add a few drops
of smartweed tea. Among the anti
dotes tried by the woman for her cof
fee was chloride of gold. For our deep
sea shipping some of our wise men
propose to try the gold without the
chloride. With an audacious defiance
of common sense, which would be in
credible if it were not so patent and
persistent, they strive by every imag
inable device to cure the effect with
out removing the cause. Unfortunately
for their success, this is a world where
cause and effect are invincibly linked
together, and 'if we get rid of one the
other must go too. We cannot build
up a merchant marine and at the same
time leave in full operation the forces
which work to destroy it.
Examples of our disposition to deal
with National evils by doctoring symp
toms rather than removing causes lie
so thick on every side that it is em
barrassing to choose among them. Cups
of salted coffee cover the whole dinner
table. The overgrown fortunes which
disturb our serenity so violently Just
now are one among many cases in
point. Perhaps the principal agent
which has helped build up these for
tunes is the prohibitive tariff, but in
stead of laying the ax to the root and'
repealing the schedules which have en
riched Carnegie, Morgan and the un
speakable herd of Pittsburg million
aires, we throw in a little opodeldoc
and podophyllin. We try an inheri
tance tax, an income tax; we propose
laws to limit private holdings of prop
erty. There seems to be almost a
mania in this country to remedy evils
by imposing new taxes. To all the old
we are joined like Ephraim to his
Idols, and we are continually racking
our brains to invent new ones. The
tariff tax has pushed us into the fire.
We invoke the inheritance tax to pull
us out. Our current history is a sort
of Internecine warfare of tax against
tax. In National economy we are
thoroughgoing homeopathists; we be
lieve that like cures like. If the tariff
tax makes us sick, an anti-tariff tax
must cure us. The inheritance and in
come taxes are useful devices for rais
ing revenue. They may even serve well
the end of limiting fortunes which
have grown too great, but why depend
upon these devices solely when a rem
edy so much simpler lies at hand?
Consider our corrupt municipal poll
tics. We have tried to purify Jt by
preaching, by registration laws, by the
secret ballot, by prosecutions, but, for
the most part, in vain. Meanwhile the
prime cause of it 'all openly, notorious
ly and flagrantly flourishes undis
turbed except by an occasional timid
peck such as a wren gives a marauding
bluejay. This cause is the ownership
of franchises by private corporations.
Were there no such ownership there
would still be corrupt politics, of
course, but there would not be very
much of it:- This single change in our
civic polity would act like a thorough
purgative on public morals. Most of
those "conditions" which we hear so
much about and which compel Ameri
can civilization to drag at the tail of
the world In the matter of municipal
betterments ' would almost instantan
eously disappear were all public fran
chises to be resumed by the municipali
ties which have alienated them, and
all future grants forbidden. The scram
ble for- franchises is to the munici
pality, like Adam's fall to the Indi
vidual, the spring and source of all
corruption.
Our American propensity to treat
symptoms rather than causes cannot
be accounted for as being a trait of
the Anglo-Saxon race, for the English
do not ppssess it. History shows that
the English are as radical as the
French, but their phlegm keeps them
steadier under the outcome than their
Gallic neighbors. Radicalism in poll
tics, as in religion, is usually the con
sequence of thought. Experience has
shown that it is those sections of the
American electorate which read and
think most that are best disposed to
go to the root of evils. Kansas, for
example, is undoubtedly the most rad
ical of the states of the Union In many
respects, while Its voters are among
the most Intelligent and best informed.
One to almost tempted to trace a con
aaljOUsa between pjic admioistxatiie
inefficiency and our National depend
ence upon machinery. Having Invented
what we supposed was a perfect gov
ernmental machine, we sat down In
all complacency to let it run itself to
the end of time, and now, when we
see the accumulations of dust and
grease which have gathered with the
years, and feel the inevitable grind of
friction on the wearing surfaces, we
are still reluctant to think that it needs
repair. We apply oil when new wheels
are needed instead. We have put salt
In our coffee and lack the courage to
empty the cup and fill it afresh.
WORTHY PENSIONERS.
An increase is noted, of the Carnegie
fund for the pensioning of aged college
professors, from $10,000,000 to $15,000,000.
It is also noted that the aged widows
of such beneficiaries are to be entitled
to the benefits of the fund.
The college professor and his wife or
widow who comes to old age without
means of support are fit subjects for
the tenderest grace of benevolence. A
man who has spent forty, fifty or sixty
years, all, indeed, of his effective life,
as a teacher of abstract sciences, is,
when he is re'tired, as helpless as when
he was born into the world, so far as
earning his living is concerned. He
has come to excite the pity rather than
to command the confidence of his pu
pils because of his. failing powers, and,
yielding to the demand, the trustees of
the university to which he came a
young man, and to which he, has given
the best efforts of Ms life, are forced
to supplant htm with a younger man:
Oregon .is young in university work,
relatively speaking, but it is old enough
to have witnessed more than one exam
ple of this kind. The old college pro
fessor, sensitive, refined, idealistic, is
when thrown back upon his resources
with his modest little home and gentle
wJfe his only worldly possessions
fully conscious of his situation and his
limitations. He has earned a pension
adequate to his simple needs, but the
college for which he has long labored
has no fund upon which he can draw
for a support. His modest salary was
absorbed as it was earned, in bringing
up a family, in contributing to church
and missionary funds, in community
benevolences and in maintaining a
home and dispensing .its simple hospi
talities. His life, his service, his hu
mane and charitable purpose commend
him as a worthy and useful citizen a
very present help in his day and gen
eration. The results of his work cannot be
measured by ordinary terms. They
have been far-reaching, subtle, vast,
of the ethical rather than the ma
terial. But the work Itself has been so
faithful, so untiring, so helpful, that it
commends itself to the consideration of
all thoughtful people who live in the
divided realm of mental and physical
being.
IS THE MANCHL'RIAX DOOR OPENf
There appears to be a growing belief,
which perhaps is not ill-founded, that
the Manchurian door has been equipped
with a Japanese tariff spring lock.
For weeks complaints have been com
ing across the Pacific charging the
Japanese with taking advantage of
their position and forcing their own
products into Manchuria to the exclu
sion of those of other nations. The
Japanese deny that they are showing
any favoritism; tout, making deduc
tions from the old theory that where
there is so much smoke there must be
some fire, the denial does not receive
the credence which it might otherwise
have. It is, of course, but natural that
all information which trickles out from'
that almost unknown country through
Russian sources should be colored to
show the Japanese side of the case in
the. worst possible light, and as yet
the complaints that have been made
are of too general a scope to make
them admissible as evidence of value.
Undoubtedly the original basis for the
complaint of favoritism on the part of
Japan grew out of the remarkable
falling off in business since the close
of the war. When a merchant who has
for a long time enjoyed a prosperous
trade suddenly notices a pronounced
decline in Its volume, most frequently
the reason that appeals to him as the
most logical is that some one else is
getting away with it. In the case of
Japan this line of reasoning might be
inaccurate, when all of the circum
stances are considered. Whenever
great battles are fought and war rages
over a country for many months, there
Is suffering, distress and great financial
loss by others than the persons directly
engaged In the conflict. A battlefield,
or a country where battlefields are nu
merous, is not the best place in the
world for promotion of trade not while
the conflict is on nor while the "muss"
is being cleaned up in the succeeding
months and yeaj-s.
It will be remembered that during the
recent war some of the greatest battles
were fought in the most thicky popu
lated and fertile portions of Manchuria.
Vast areas of growing crops were de
stroyed, cities, towns and villages
shelled and burned, and even the do
mestic animals used by the Manchurian
termers were commandeered" for use
of the army.- No country, regardless
of its great natural resources, can
make a quick, recovery from the rav
ages of such a war as swept over the
best portion of Manchuria, and it will
be a long time before the purchasing
power of the people will be restored to
them on a . scale approaching that
which was in evidence when the war
began. There are certain characteris
tics of the Japanese nature that are
too pronounced to lead any one to be
lieve that they will not make avery
strict and literal Interpretation of the
old rule which apportions the spoils to
the victor. But the trade of Manchuria
can hardly be classed as spoils to which
Japan is legitimately entitled. Neither
the United States, Great Britain nor
Germany, the three countries most vi
tally interested in keeping the trade
door open in the Far East, have raised
or will raise very much opposition to
introduction of the Japanese financial
system into Manchuria. ,
There was a pretty large issue of
Japanese war notes floating around the
country before the war closed, and
Japan undoubtedly will retain . the
banking prestige which it established
at that time.- But, if It is true, as has
been charged, that Japan is sending its
products into Manchuria under a pref
erential duty or free of duty, the other
powers have a grievance -which should
be corrected at once. The United
States would, of course, join with Ger
many and Great Britain and demand
fair treatment- But, while we might
force Japan to open the 'Manchurian
door, we are In a fair way to have more
trouble keeping the Japanese trade
door open. The "Yankees of the East'
are contemplating adoption of the tariff
system of the Yankees of the West. If
this system, which permits American
monopolists to shut out all foreign com
'4 P.eWin 18 a xl ne for us, why, not
for the Japanese? They at least seem
determined to experiment with it, and
the American Government .has 6ent
special agents across the Pacific to
keep In touch with this threatened blow
at our trade. Our extravagant and un
warranted tariff system has made the
United States the trade bully of the
world, and bullies sometimes get licked.
THE GOLDEN AGE FOR MEN OF BRAINS
"We are groping upon the verge of
another great epoch in the world's his
tory." These are the words of Thomas
A. Edison, as quoted by his friend and
chronicler, James Creelman, in Pear
son's Magazine for August. Sturdy,
untiring, studious. . Mr. Edison has
earned for himself a place among men
"who have modified civilization without
bloodshed." He is an optimist, accord
ing to this chronicler, of the most
cheerful type; a man who sees in the
present a vast improvement over the
past of any age,. and who looks to the
future with confidence that it holds
near or far such certainties in prog
ress as will multiply the blessings of
prosperity to the man of intelligence a
thousand fold. He sees the world grow
ing better and stronger all the time,
and the invitation to think becoming
almost irresistible in every Jine of hu
man effort. .
Mr. Edison is 59 years of age,, within
a year of the Osier limit of human use
fulness; yet he spends the greater part
of every day and until far into every
night in his laboratory vigorous, en
ergetic and apparently tireless. He as
sesses this as the golden age for men
of brains, even of little brains, and ad
vances the astonishing idea that the
poor boy with his way to make In the
world stands a better chance now than
did the lad thus situated twenty years
ago. '-.
This view of the situation is probably
the reflection from the life of a success
ful man. The ability of Mr. Edison ran
in a special line, and he had the intel
lectual energy, the physical strength
and the opportunity to push his way.
Plain, matter-of-fact, a light eater and
sleeper, he has been able to pursue
what seemed at first to -toe a fad with
a persistence that developed the incan
descent electric light, the phonograph,
the kinetoscope, the quadruplex tele
graph, the electric railroad, the tele
phone transmitter, the megaphone and
other marvelous contributions to the
progress of the age.
This man, whose mind is in touch
with the subtleties that wait upon the
development of mighty forces, says
there is an unprecedented demand at
present for intelligent men in every
line of work. iHe sees, with the rapid
cheapening of power and the certainty
that it will become very much cheaper,
a diminishing value m physical
strength and an advance in the value
of knowledge and thinking qualities.
A significant evidence of the truth of
this estimate he finds in the fact that,
while the hours of muscular labor are
growing shorter, the hours of brain
work are growing longer.
Life, as Mr. Edison sees it, is growing
easier, not harder. The condition of
the man who rises above the deadline
of mental mediocrity or inertia, im
proves each year; the hope of the man
below that line is in the schoolhouse.
We must protect him," says this
man of mighty achievements, "by good
laws honestly enforced, and see that
the means of education are open to
him. Beyond that no one can help him
but himself."
The truth of this last remark is so
manifest that it does not need the in
dorsement of an Edison. While prac
tical, observant -men may differ with
him in regard to the statement that a
poor boy can get on easier now than
he could when he himself was a. boy.
the value, the lndispensabillty, of self-
help in making a success in life is be
yond dispute. It is well to put a lad
upon his feet i. e., to extend to him
the help without which he could not
take the first step forward. Mr. Edison
himself was thus helped to help him
self more than once while a poor lad
seeking an opening for his efforts in the
world: If this help is in the line of self-
help; If it encourages and assists the
lad in the pursuit of knowledge which
is first aid to power, its mission is ful
filled wisely and well. As large capital
and organization were necessary to
produce the magnificent results of Mr.
Edison's endeavor, so is the knowledge
that can only be acquired by the out
lay of some money, and, in the case of
the boy without means,, of financial
help, a necessary equipment precedent
to self-help of the type that the age
requires, as shown in the growing de
mand for intelligent, thinking, well-
prepared men in every line of work.
The story that comes from the South
of the cruel condition under which men
white men, friendless and forlorn
are held in slavery in lumber camps
of Alabama and Florida, is but another
illustration of man's inhumanity to
man under conditions that favor tyr
anny. The story is centuries old. Its
chapters have been written and rewrit
ten until nothing new in the devices
of cruelty remains to be told. We
shudder at the bloody recitals that
come from Russia; are appalled at the
tales that reach us from the Congo;
and recall the incidents of slavery days
in the South with horror that the years
do not mitigate. From this latest tale
we can only turn away with a feeling
of personal helplessness, but in the
hope that the spirit of civilization that
has been up in arms at the recital of
Russian atrocities -will turn its atten
tion to conditions that are a disgrace
to our own Nation in Southern lumber
camps and ther places where lowly
labor delves under an infamous con
tract system, or a system of peonage,
with the determination to correct these
hoary abuses.
Alfred Beit, the South African Croe
sus, made public bequests of $9,000,000,
two-thirds of this sum being for the
development of railroad, . telegraph,
telephone and wireless systems on the
southern section of the Eastern hemi
sphere. The other three millions go to
educational and charitable purposes,
mostly in South Africa. . These legacies
from a man whose life was devoted to
potting money and the reported use to
which Russell Sage's widow will devote
his fortune are striking illustrations of
the tendency of the age. Few very
wealthy men, outside of Portland, die
nowadays without some provision for
the public benefit.
The water famine that prevails on
the East Side from -Mount Tabor to the
Peninsula will not be relieved until the
Fall rains come and lawn sprinkling is
over for the year. This being the situ
ation, due to delay In the construction
of the high-pressure pipe line from the
Mount Tabor reservoir to Portsmouth,
owners of lawns that are well estab
lished would do well to let them "go
dry," since the October rains will revive
them without damage, while those who
are try Ids to start new lawns should
abandon the effort until Jupiter Plu-
vius sends the moisture, which he can
be depended upon to do on time. It is
more essential for the many to have
water for culinary purposes and for
bathing than for the few to have green
lawns. The spirit of neignborliness
should rule in this matter.
Gambling is a vice that merits uni
versal reprobation, and receives it.
But all the gambling ever carried on
In Portland, through the common
games, could not, if put together.
equal a moiety of-evil created and ex
erted among us by those who have en
gaged in such operations of "high
finance" as gobbling franchises, swal
lowing estates and crushing everybody
who wouldn't pay the tribute demand
ed and required. These estates, boast
ed by the first families, have been built
up by operations infinitely worse and
more immoral than betting on cards
and horses. The opposite side of the
picture is a record of broken hopes.
partial or utter failure, with here and
there colossal monuments of ruin and
despair. See Marquam for an example,
and Colburn Barrel! for another: and
watch the outcome of the Johnson es
tate for another.- The City of Portland
can stand the steal, of Its franchises,
though the steal amounts to millions;
but private individuals, lacking the re
sources, are not so fortunate.
The Oregonian doesn't know and
doesn't care what was said in its col
umns about the franchises and the
charter from September, 1902, to Feb
ruary, 1903, when the mongers and
grabbers were making their- adjust
ments, secretly, for their own purposes.
Besides, the editor was in Europe dur
ing that period. But The Oregonian
does know who worked up this business
and why they, did it, who fixed up the
charter to fit each other, so as to carry
their game through; who 'worked'
the charter and the franchises, the
Common Council and the Legisla
ture, got away with the property of
Portland and "banked the swag" for
themselves. These are the relevant
facts. They stand, beyond contro
versy. No attempt to engage The Ore
gonian on personal or irrelevant ques
tions will succeed. The Oregonian has
told everybody, till everybody knows,
who got away -with the franchises and
the proceeds, how they did it, and all
about it.
The community is in sympathy with
Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Olds in the loss of
their only son, Kenneth, whose death
after many months of decline, occurred
Friday night. The young man was the
victim of football brutality, having
been injured in that game some two
years ago. He was, previous to this
occurrence, of sturdy physique and
perfect health. His injuries were of the
chest and side, affecting both the lungs
and heart. A Winter in Arizona and
the best medical and surgical treatment
failed to bring relief from the injuries
suffered. The case is a peculiarly sad
one, and is one of many that have pro
duced the reaction against the un
necessarily rough and brutal features
of football.
Lightning played some mischief
around Portland yesterday, and the
oldest Inhabitant is at a loss to under
stand it. Perhaps Tom Richardson can
explain It. Such things never hap
pened before Mr. Richardson came here
to spread abroad the fame of the land
where it never lightnings nor thunders,
nor is in any way ever subjected to the
misbehavior or displeasure of the ele
ments. Judge Parker Is disposed to frown on
the suposed ambitions of Mr. Hearst
to be Governor of New York, and he
hasn't yet moved to make the nomina
tion of Mr. Bryan unanimous. With
the calm and accurate judgment which
has always controlled the Judge's opin
ions, he sees that the Democratic can
didate for President will not be nomi
nated In 1906, but in 1908.
. A considerable portion of the Repub
licans 6f Idaho are sending delegates to
the state convention at Pocatello, in op
position to the idea that United States
Senators should be nominated by the
people. Justifiable, doubtless, from
their standpoint, for, if this .principle
should prevail, many excellent men will
think it not worth while to go to the
Legislature.
Senator Bailey was renominated by
the Texas Democrats at the primary,
yesterday, without opposition. Evi
dently they didn't . believe in the
charges against Bailey, or hadn't heard
of them, or thought that a penniless
statesman who had absorbed a $250,000
farm during his term of office wouldn't
need to absorb another.
Mrs. Sage will undoubtedly be re
minded, early and often, of the pro
found esteem in which her late hus
band was held by various educational
and charitable institutions throughout
the country. They might even be willing
to confer on. him a post-mortem degree
or two.
Dowie objects to leaving the choice of
an overseer to a plebiscite of Zlon, be
cause he; is the "only overseer through
divine appointment." Nevertheless,
Judge Landis removed him, and he
hasn't been struck dead yet.'
Messrs. Miller and Kincart, who will
go to McNeill's Island for a year, prob
ably expected Instead a testimonial of
appreciation from the court for telling
the truth on the witness-stand for the
first time in their lives.
The railroad cannot take freight from
Portland to San Francisco and the
Harriman coast steamship line isn't fit
to. There is nothing left for the ship
per but to try the log raft route.
John D. Rockefeller is safe home
again, greatly relieved no doubt to find
that nobody has taken advantage of
his absence to grab the unappropri
ated remainder of the country.
A Milwaukee Judge let a trio of timber-land
sharks go because "the evi
dence submitted wasn't sufficient." We
suppose that Judge wanted the trees
they stole produced in court.
No one can object to the friendly ri
valry that will be certain to ensue be
tween Mrs. Sage, Mr. Carnegie and
other kind old ladies in disposing of
their millions.
Dr. Billings has filed his claim of
$25,000 for attendance on the late Mar
shall Field, on the valid ground that
his professional presence was worth It
to Billings.
There are 177 jobs now unexpectedly
at Mayor Lane's disposal, and nearly
enough Democrats in Portland to fill
them. What is the-Mayor waiting for?
THE PESSIMIST.
The Czar has dissolved his Douma, and
John Alexander Dowie has risen from
his deathbed to tell what he is going to
do. Nicholas and John should .let their
jobs out to private contractors.
.
In a small Western town where the
rain seldom falls and ths souls of the
inhabitants need constant attention, the
Episcopal church and the rectory stand
on the same lot. Besides administering
to the wants of the morally weak. It was
the duty of the rector to mow the grass
and keep It well watered. This matter
he attended to with diligence as regards
the grass which immediately surrounded
the rectory, but the ground around the
church became parched and covered with '
weeds.
"How do you like the looks of the
lawn?" he asked of a sarcastic parish
loner who was strolling by.
well," replied that individual, as his
eye swept over the velvety surface, and
then to the neglected, weed-tangled, por
tion surrounding the church, "your half
of the lot is fine, but God's half is rot
ten."
e e
Many times has the story been told re-
lating how some person of vast import
ance has died, winged a rapid flight to
the golden-gated Jerusalem where he was
given a seat at the right hand of his
Creator in a chair which the Son of Man
was compelled to vacate. These stories
were mostly fictitious. However, things
were doing the other day, according to
a local clairvoyant, who witnessed the
arrival In the regions above of a prom
inent soul from Puget Sound. Upborne
on a current of hot air, the Seattle
spirit broke the record to the pearly
gates.
"Pete," said he, "if you want to do
business with me, trot out your maps and
plats. I'll buy all the corner lots and
tldelanda you've got.'
"I am afraid, dear friend," remarked
St. Peter with dignity, "that this Is not
the place you are looking for. You will
find the elevator to the left."
"Up or down?"
"Down," replied St. Peter with em
phasis. But I Just came up," expostulated
the shade from the shores of Elliot Bay.
"I thought I would look the town over,
and, if I like it. I will stay and make
things hum." ,
"Yes, I know," said St. Peter with a
note of sadness in his voice, "we had a
man here from Seattle for a few days
not long ago. He said he was going to
make things hum. Well, he didn't. He
wouldn't stay. He said that this place
was worse than Tacoma, and that he
was going somewhere else."
"Did he go back to Seattle?"
"No; he went further down. If you
hurry you will catch him before he melts.
The elevator boy will fit you with an
asbestos suit on the way down."
"Good-bye, old man; take care of your
self. I may see you later. If you feel a
wave of extra hot air coming up the
shaft, you'll know it's me. So long."
"Rather warm, isn't it?" ventured the
elevator boy as they ncared the bottom.
"Not so very. Ever been In Seattle?
No? That's too bad. Seattle's a hot
town, and don't you forget It."
"Is this the place?" asked the Seattle
spirit as the elevator came to a stop.
"Who's that standing by the gate?"
"Oh, that's Creffleld," replied the boy.
"They won't let htm in."
"What's he going to do about it?"
"I dunno. .It's against the rules to
take anybody up. Here comes the old
man.",
"Oh!V exclaimed the Seattle spirit with
relief.'. "I thought it was Rockefeller."
"Come to think of it," said the boy,
"that's what they are going to do with
Creffleld. When John D. comes they are
going to build a place for the two of
them." . .
"That's playing it rather low down on
Creffleld, isn't it?"
"Mebbe It is," sighed the boy, "but he
may be able to do John seme good."
"You stay where you are," commanded
his Satanic Majesty as the Seattle spirit
attempted to slide through the gate.
"What's the matter?"
"You can't come in," answered Satan,
"that's what's the matter."
"I haven't done anything."
"No, and you won't either. That last
man that St Peter sent down has d6ne
all the things that are going to toe doing.
I'm a son-of-a-gun if he didn't organize
a chajnber of commerce the first day he
was here; then he wanted me to dig a
canal from the Styx over to Lake Brim
stone, so that Charon could take his ferry
over and get the barnacles burned off.
He Is now getting up a bond issue to buy
up the tidefiats before Harriman gets
here. I've had all the Seattle spirit I
can stand. Sklddoo!"
"You are not going to put me in with
Creffleld and Rockefeller, are you?" fal
tered the soul from County of King.
"No, I wouldn't do that. I am mean as
the devil, but I am not so mean as that.
You'll havu to go back."
"But the boy says its against the rules
to take anybody up."
"Peter and I got those rules up, and
this is the time they are going to be
broken. I'll go along and have this thing
out with Peter. I won't stand for any
more of it."
"Look here, Peter," said Satan, as the
elevator arrived at the top, and they saw
that saint standing by the gate, which
was fastened with three new padlocks,
"you'll have to take this man In."
"Who, me?"
"Yes, you," returned Satan with come
asperity.
"Well, I guess not," said St. Peter.
"You haven't forgotten that last one,
have you?"
"You won't let me," said Peter. "You've
telephoned 16 times already. I probably
remember him."
"I'll toss with you for this one," sug
gested Satan.
"Heads he's mine; tails he's yours,"
agreed St, Peter.
Satan extracted a red-hot dollar from
his wallet and tossed it spinning into the
air, but it never came down.
Swi-s-s-s-h! With & movement of in
conceivable rapidity the Seattle spirit had
seized the dollar; with it he vanished,
never to return. M. B. WELL,5!.
The Summer Bachelor.
Houston Post.
The house Is big; and empty
As a barn;
And its master doesn't hardly
Give a darn
Whether he stays there at all.
Where the phantom voices call;
It's a long, long- time till Fall;
That's no yarn.
He can't find the poker bunch
Any more.
He can't go the lonesoma ways
As of yore.
He has lost the old know hew.
Lost the wish for rowdy-dow.
Lost the old companions now,
. And he's sore.
Baby voices lilting, laughing
Call, him call!
Baby footsteps seem to patter
Down the hall!
It's a lonesome time o year.
It's a long, long time and drear.
When the babies aren't here!
Darn U all I .
It.