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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 23, 1908)
THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, AUGUST 23, 1903. Entered at Portland. Oregon. Postoffloe aa Second-Class Matter. Subecrlptioa Batea Invariably tn Advance. (Br Malt) Dally. Sunday Included, out year. ?? u al I y. Eunday snciuaea, six raoain-. Dally. Sunday Included, three montha. Dally. Sunday Included, one month Dally without Sunday, ona year Tim i w .iihiuii Hn .H. v alz months..... .24 2.23 .76 8.00 Dally, without Sunday, three montha.. 1. 1 Dally, without Sunday, ona month .J Weekly, one year J 30 Cundar, one year 2.50 Sunday and Weekly, ona year aOO (By Carrier.) tally. Sunday Included, ona year Dally. Sunday Included, ona month To Row te Remit Send poetofflce money order, express order or personal check on your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency are at the sender's risk- Give postofnee ad drees In full. Including count and state. Portage Batea 10 to 14 pages. 1 cent; IS to 2S pages, 2 cents; 30 to -a pagea. a cants: s to SO paces. cents, Foreign poat aae double ratee. Eastern Boalneaa Office The 8. C Beck with Special Agency New York, rooms -00 Tribune be'lding. Chicago, rooms 610-012 Tribune building. POKTLAD, Bl-DAT. AUG. 3. 1B08. THE PAST IX THE PRESENT. Neither Mr. Taft nor Mr. Bryan is "running" solely on the platforms of the present year. Both are on past platforms more than on the present ones. For a political party is not to be Judged solely, nor even chiefly, by Its declarations of today. Rather it la to be Judged by or upon Its whole course and history. The gTeat bulk of the vote of the United States in No vember next will be cast for party, with far more reference to the general character of parties, as shown by what they have done or attempted hitherto, and by what Judgments have been passed on them, than by anything their platforms may declare,' at the present time. There is nothing very striking in either of the platforms at the present time. The differences between" them are not.vltal; there Is nothing so dear, or so sharply cut, as heretofore, dur ing two generations. All but a very small fraction of Bryan's vote will be cast for him, because of the .party name; and the same will be true of the vote- for Taft. It is easy to say that the name of a party Is nothing. But K is a symbol that presents a con crete reminder of what a party stands for and has stood for, in the general course of Its life. Words and names come to mean things, and to stand for things, in the most powerful and im pressive way. Words and names rule the world. Taft will get credit, to the extent of millions of votes, for what the Repub lican party has stood for, and fought for, and accomplished, during fifty years. Bryan will get credit, to the extent of millions of votes, because he Is the present representative of the historic opposition to the Republican party during this long period. Com paratively few will vote for either candidate for reasons different from these. If Bryan is at disadvantage In such a situation it is because the creed and policy of his party are disap proved, and in many things even de : tested. Nine-tenths voting against Bryan this year will remember the ' terrible fight it was necessary to make for honest money, against his leader ship for free coinage of silver, at a -fraudulent ratio; and the memory of ' not a few will run back much further, ' to the struggles without number, j when the Democratic party was re : Jected by the countr'p under the be ' lief that Its policy was ruinous. Taft and Bryan, therefore, are not running" merely on the platforms of the present year, but much more on the platforms of many years; for par ties are divided. In the main, on re membrance of the incidents and events which make up the history of the country, and the name of a party be comes a concrete expression, which carries to the general voter's mind the reasons that guilds him and require no argument. HOUXESS. Holiness is doubtless a very fine possession if one happens to get hold of the right kind. The wrong kind seems to be anything but fine. Two Instances of the wrong kind were re ported in The Oregonian the other day, and. Judging from the conse quences which It produced, we are constrained to say that as between bad holiness and bad whisky, give us the whisky. It would be decidedly lees destructive than the holiness. Mrs. Morrison, of Salem, after taking on an oversupply of this mischievous stimu lant, deserted her husband, fled from home, and carted off her goods and chattels under the protection of a po liceman. How much more seemly would it have been had the policeman held ' this good woman in his arms while1 her husband applied that mod erate chastisement which Blackstone says is lawful. . To get rid of this per nicious species of holiness there is nothing so surely effectual as a good switch or a ducking stool. Mrs. Morrison said in explaining her conduct that "God had command ed her to leave her husband. To live '. with Mm any longer would be a sin." Robert Laughlln, of Klamath Falls, who cut off his hand a couple of days ago in a fit of holiness, also said that he had been commanded to do it by the Almighty. It would be a queer deity who would command people to do acts so silly. How shall we account for these monstrous deeds done under the name of religion? Perhaps we cannot explain them completely, but it is hardly doubtful that the old-fashioned concept of the deity is more or less to blame. Following the accounts in the primitive books of the Bible the Almighty Is popularly presented as an irrational being, vengeful, passion ate, fickle and bloodthirsty. He is pic tured with all the undesirable charac teristics of an Oriental despot, and It Is entirely In keeping with such a character that he should command people to do foolish and wicked acts, such as deserting a family or cutting off a hand. Mrs. Morrison and Rob ert Laughlln, In doing what they did, were simply carrying a popular idea of the deity to its logical outcome. It is no more unreasonable to command a man to cut off his hand than it would be to condemn him to everlast ing fire. For that state of mind which our Salem friends call holiness the true name is fanatical superstition. It is rot religion, nor anything like religion, and the being whom It calls God Is nothing better than a hideous carica ture of the Almighty as he really ex ists. The -deity who loves righteous ness and mercy would not countenance attch folly 'as Mrs. Morrison commit- , ted. Genuine religion tends to strengthen the ties between man and wife, not to break them. It aims to make men strong, healthy and happy Instead o maiming them. In the last analysis there Is very little difference between true religion and common sense. Did not the prophet Micah de clare that true religion Is "to do Justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God?" What is this but the highest common sense? Cer tainly, If Micah was right, then the teachers who have put these outland ish notions Into Mrs. Morrison's head are wrong. They have been leading her to practice deviltry Instead of piety. THROUGH CENTRAL OKEGOX. A railroad Is soon to be built through Central Oregon by Mr. Har riman. It is not certain yet that Its route will be north and south, or east and west, though the north-and-south line appears now to be preferred. All that Is a matter of detail, however, and will be arranged later. The Im portant fact Is that the road is, or Is to be, a certainty, if the route is not. We are not unmindful that Mr. Har riman long ago promised definitely to build through Central Oregon, and there was reasonable expectation, as there was undoubted need, that the railroad should be built long ere now. But nothing was done, beyond the sur veys, for years. Nothing could be done, perhaps. We shall be willing to think that circumstances, and not negligence, or indifference to the in terests and deserts of Oregon, caused the delay, if the project shall now be carried forward with expedition. Therefore, bygones are bygones, the present only need be thought of, and the future Is before us all. It is pleasing to feel that Mr. Har riman has an abiding Interest and an abounding faith in Oregon. He should have, indeed. He has a duty, too, and a responsibility that he is evidently going to discharge in the fullest and most satisfactory manner. . LETTING THE SOITH ALONE. If it were not for the South, South ern feelings and Southern prejudices, we should hear a great -deal during the campaign about the Brownsville affair. The wrongs of the oppressed and outraged negro soldiers would be subject of many tearful talks and plaintive appeals 'by Mr. Bryan. But he doesn't befriend the negro, or rather attempt to pose as his friend and advocate, because he doesn't dare. Thers is no other reason. The South wouldn't stand It, and the South la the backbone of the Democratic strength. So. too, Bryan is the champion of the laboring classes and labor legisla tion In states where the South may be safely left out of consideration. Tou won't hear Mr. Bryan shouting through the South about child-labor laws, or convict labor, for example, or talking about anything that Is likely to offend the sensibilities of the aris tocratic landowners and mlllownera and manufacturers of that section. He needs the South, and the South doesn't need him. Charles A. Walsh, formerly secre tary of the National Democratic Com mittee, has made public a letter set ting forth some reasons why organized labor should not support the Demo cratic party. He says: In the Southern states the Democratic party has alwaya controlled the lawmakers. I want to fairly call your attention to the labor legis lation of the various states and make tha charge, the truthfulness of which will be rec ognized by every man. that, speaking gen erally, no section of this Union baa poorer laws for the protection of labor than those statea alwaya known aa Democratic la no other mates do we And worse conditions as to child labor, the farming out of convicts to contractors and other abuses. Thus we see what the Democratic party does for labor when It is In full control of the lawmaking power. Southern Democrats waste little time splitting hairs about consent of the governed. They govern. A PHASE OF FEMTXTlfE SF.LKISHNEPS. Yesterday's mallbag contained the following communication from a resi dent of Willamette Heights, who asked that his name be not published: Permit me through your columns to voice my indignation over an Incident that I aaw oa a v car yesterday. i nour 6:41; front and baok platforms crowded with men; about thirty women and one grey beard seated inside: at Tenth and Morrison. a pale-faced, neatly dressed woman, evidently In weak condition, probably, convalescing rrom, recent Ulneaa, boarded the car, accompanied bv four clean children, the youngest a babe In arms. Sh "herded" the three who were large enough to walk, but seemed to lack sufficient strength to reach for a strap to steady herself aa the car turned curves. A blind man could see she waa very tired, and yet not a female passenger offered her a seat. I am sure that half the women were under 90 and several of them not over 20. Half a mile farther on. one woman left tbe car and the remainder "spread out" at or.ee. Two blocks more, the same thing1 was repeated on the opposite aide of the car, and this poor woman was allowed to at and until she. got off after wa paased Good Samaritan Hospital. I am not starting1 out to reform the world; still I am not without hope of awakening latent sympathy that lives In every human breast. Publication of this letter by The Oregonian cannot fail to aid my effort. No woman with a babe In her arms should be allowed to stand In a Portland streetcar. Neither this correspondent, nor The Oregonian, nor all the altruistic forces in Portland will succeed in curing the sin of selfishness that manifests itself among certain adult females in public conveyances, except by personal re buke to the individual and putting her to shame. Appeal to her finer nature seldom meets with response. It is unusual, not to say rare, for a woman Mr. Edward Bok's Journal of Civil ization would use the word "lady" to yield a part of her rights In a streetcar or an elevator merely to ac commodate another woman who hap pens not to be on her calling list. Let, say, eight women be occupying one side of a car, each taking up all the room "the law allows." Enter ninth woman. The seated eight, re garding her as an Intruder and a disturber of their comfort, stare. Tardily and reluctantly complying with her unspoken demand for room to sit down, they "edge along," and No. 9 settles herself In a satisfactory state of mind. Enter tenth woman. She searches for a vacancy. There is ample room for fifteen women on each side, yet no one moves. Number 9 is sure to toe especially rigid, saying to herself: "I'm comfortable; let No. 10 rustle for a seat." She ignores entirely the obligation she is under to repay a cold-hearted courtesy that was extended to her a minute before. Don't we see this comedy enacted a thousand times every day from 5 to 6 o'clock? In elevators this selfish ness is shown from morning until nlKht, and la mare sharply marked than in streetcars. The average woman stands near the door and re fuses to step to the rear when others enter. Self-asserting women, whose numbers are steadily increasing, plant themselves at the entrance and thus Incommode every passenger going into or out of the cage. The elevator boy and the conductor are not clothed with police or monitory powers. Po lite requests from them fall on deaf ears. The female doesn't yield; she doesn't have to. So this selfishness, with no means to check it, grows, per haps unconsciously. Into a fixed habit. Men. too. are selfish in various ways, but they have learned that while they are traveling It pays to "give and take." Where they are crowded within limited space, whether they are laborers, merchants, , Just young "fellers" or professional men, a disposition to regard the rights of others prevails.. It is not Instinctive, but the happy result of experience gained by contact with the world. For a familiar example, note the conduct of the multitude going to and from a Sunday baseball game. For con trast, ask the woman who has ever traveled in a Pullman with fifteen .others of her sex about selfishness in the use of the toilet-room. And the sad phase of this sin of selfishness is that the woman guilty cf it knows better. In her home and among her friends her first thought is for those bound by blood and af fection. On the streetcar, as if by magic, she becomes a creature self centered in her own comfort All the other women on the car, except -some one she knows, are aliens. The small minority regardful of the sensibilities of others are' insufficient to leaven the selfish majority. In the case mentioned by our cor respondent, a carload of women are Indictable for entire lack of sympathy. At least one out of the thirty should have ' volunteered to lighten the woman's load by giving her a seat. A man with a babe in his arms entering a at rc&tn r- rrnwrlpri with men 1 wouldn't have had to wait two sec onds for a place to sit down. rRAULEIX SCH.YIDT. The latest book 'by the author of "Elizabeth and Her German Garden" Is called "Fraulein Schmidt and Mr. Anstruther." The heroine, Fraulein Schmidt, was the daughter of a Ger man literary man, whose industry was great and his profits small. Up to the time when the story opens his books had been an expense to the family treasury, and throughout its progress he was laboring on a monu mental work for which his daughter shrewdjy suspected he could never find a publisher. To eke out their exiguous means the Schmidts were In the habit of taking in an English boy now and then who wished tp learn German. Mr. Anstruther was such a youth, though he was not exactly a boy. His connections were noble, his wealth abundant and his heart susceptible. Frauleln Schmidt was sweet, sensible and wholesome. What could have ween more natural than a romance between them which gradually ripened from Platonic af fection to English love? At the end of his year at the Schmidts', when Mr. Anstruther was on the point of de parture, he proposed to the daughter of his humble tutor, and was accepted, Thus the book begins. It consists of the Frauleln's letters to Mr. Anstruther from the day of his leaving for England until eternal silence fell . between them, a period of about a year. The first epistles express her rapturous Joy In their en gagement. "Ich kann es nlcht fassen, nicht glauben. Es hat ein Traum mlch beruecht." She couldn't understand . it, she couldn't believe it. Like the girl in Schumann s song, Fraulein Schmidt thought a dream must have deceived her. It was impossible that such a grand gentleman should have exalted and happlfied a poor creature like herself. And in truth, it wa a dream, nor was it a very long one, either. After three or four delirious letters the next ones begin to hint that Mr. Anstruther's love is cooling. Presently it comes out that he is en gaged to an English damsel of lofty birth, and Fraulein Schmidt is rele gated to the limbo of discarded sweet hearts. It is at this critical point that the singular flavor of the extraor dinary book becomes apparent. The Frauleln does not lament. She does not reproach, or accuse. She simply understands. She reads Mr. Anstruther like an open page in the largest and clearest type. She tells him indeed that he has little strength of mind, but only as one stating a scientific truth. The Fraulein analyzes her recreant lover, and is then ready to let him pass for ever, but he is of a different mind. Though his passion has cooled, he still values Miss Schmidt for her colossal common sense, and wishes the letters between them to continue.- So they do, and one may say confidently that the correspondence, or rather Miss Schmidt's "part of it, which is the enly one the reader gets directly, is without a parallel in literature. Plenty of writers have portrayed sensible men. Jane Austen has de scribed a sensible woman or two, and so has Dickens, but they are all different; David Oopperfield's Agnes Is something like Frauleln Schmidt. Agnes is sentimental with all her capacity for affairs. Fraulein Schmidt is Bentlmental, too, but not in Agnes' orthodox way. Her senti ment takes the singular form of the power to assign their genuine values to persons and things. It Is an aid to common sense which it never ob scures, tout renders always more acute and piercing. Nothing deceives her, nothing In the way of motives is hid den from her. No conventional esti mate of things or conduct misleads her. She has resolved not to let love, whether fortunate or thwarted, spoil her life. Love, after all, is an inci dent, which, like everything else, dis turbs one for a time, and then takes its place among other incidents. Washington Irving in one of his sketches says this is true for men, but not for women. To women, says Irving, love is' the whole world, while to men it divides place with ambition, the desire for wealth and many other things. Frauleln Schmidt had made up her mind that It should be true, for at least one woman as well as for men. She rooted love out of her heart with out much apparent difficulty, and set about getting as much enjoyment as she could from her narrow, pinched life. In doing so, she made several Interesting discoveries. One of them was that her life of poverty, passed in j a lonely cottage wlih a leaky roof on J a steep hillside, was neither narrow nor pinched, but broad as the unl verse. She had the days of Spring, she had the pensive calm of Fall. The sun was hers and the stars. Sunshine and torm, trees and flowers she had Above all, she had freedom. There was nothing in the wide, wide world to hinder Frauleln Schmidt from be- ing herself. She found that in things like these lay the true values. They were what is worth while, and the ordinary objects of ambitious striving are but delusions. Of course, all this is true. It is so obviously true that writers have been saying it in one way and another since time began. The story of Fraulein Schmidt Is only Fitzgerald's "Book of verses under neath the bough" over again, but the philosophy Is put with a truth and convincing power that one sometimes misses. The cynic will say to be sure that the Fraulein did well to make herself as happy as she could in her bereave ment, but, if she achieved a passable Imitation of contentment. It was only because she could get nothing better. Unluckily for the cynic,, the author has looked out for that. Mr. Anstruther presently wearied of his exalted lady love, who had surrepti tiously made off with a duke, and humbly besought for a return of Frauleln Schmidt's affection. . But he besought in vain. She had found hap piness on her lonely hillside, and she was not to be persuaded to forsake it When he persisted in his suit, she abruptly broke off the letters, drop ping him into infinite forgetfulness. The reader closes the book with a sigh. Was the Frauleln right, or, after all. Is there something besides barren hillsides which most of us must have to make life endurable? "ON OATH A3fl OX HONOR. Those persons who insist that It is Unconstitutional to compel a citizen to disclose his party affiliations before permitting him to vote in a party pri mary should remember that the prac tice in this respect was not changed by enactment of the primary law. Before the primary law was enacted, no man could take part in a Repub lican primary without declaring him self a Republican. True, he did not do this under oath, but he did It, nevertheless. He could not ask the privilege of voting in a Republican primary without announcing himself as a Republican. But there were frauds under that system. Men who were not Republicans, and who were unscrupulous, would sometimes attend Republican primaries and vote there. The primary law was enacted to put a stop to this, among other evils, and it was particularly provided that be fore a man can toe permitted to vote In the primaries of any party he must swear that he is a member of that party. But this provision did not remedy Jhe evil. The framers of the law did not know that a man who will He about his party affiliations in order to get into a primary where he does not belong will also swear to the He for the same purpose. Hence the frauds are continued, though perhaps they will not always be so numerous as they were in the election last Spring. Some way may be devised to prevent men from voting illegally, but the perfect method has not yet been discovered or Invented. So long as frauds continue, we shall have elec tions that do not mean what they appear upon their face to mean. The law which requires a man to register his party affiliations before voting in a party primary is a good one. It does not compel any man to vote in any particular party pri mary. It leaves him free to choose his party or to affiliate with no party. But it expects him to stay out of a party primary unless he is a member of that party in good faith. That has always been the rule, but formerly each voter was put upon his "honor. Now each is put upon his oath, and it appears that many have as little re gard for their oath as they have for their honor. HOW SHALL WE ELECT SENATORS? Retirement of a number of the United States' Senators who have faith fully served the "interests" will go far toward relieving that branch of Con gress from the unfavorable position It long has occupied in the public mind. Too long the- Senate has been in the control of men not only dishonest, but stupid. Apparently the corporate In terests were able to administer some sort of "dope" to . men of previous good reputation which "had the effect of dulling their moral sense and stupe fying their minds. They not only be came unfaithful to their trust as rep resentatives of the people, but could not see that their course meant ulti mate political defeat for themselves. They not only brought discredit upon themselves, but created prejudice against the Senate as a whole. They made the name of the Senatdrial of fice almost synonymous with corrup tion. The founders of the Government provided for the election of Senators by State Legislatures, knowing that thereby one branch of Congress could be maintained comparatively free from the Influences of temporary pop ular upheavals. This plan was de signed to make the Senate a balance wheel which would prevent the legis lative department from running wild. But in the course of time tha Senate ceased to be a restraining power guarding the welfare of the people and became a representative of the interests opposed to the people. Hence arose the demand for popular electiqn of Senators. That demand will prob ably continue until it has been ful filled by an amendment to the Consti tution, and yet it may be doubted whether the change will prove to be a satisfactory one. Paradoxical as it may seem, the people need an Influ ence to protect them from themselves. The Constitution itself was framed not only to protect the people from tyran nical rulers, but to guard against the consequences of hasty and ill-advised popular movements. Because the Senate has become sub servient to special privilege there Is demand that the manner of electing Senators be changed. The change, when accomplished, will very likely give us a Senate responsive to every shifting breeze of public opinion. But there seems no other way to make the Senate represent the interests of the country as a whole rather than the selfish interests of the few. Experi ence will teach us whether it is a lesser evil to have a Senate yielding to every temporary public clamor than to have one not faithful to public duly, . UmiPflU.oa at.icma ..el ;Uuu. leaders who nave been responsible for the attitude of the Senate may change the position of that body In the est! mation of the people and diminish the demand for popular election of Sena tors. WRONGS BY THE COURTS. When Judge Grosscup rendered his decision in the Standard Oil case only President Roosevelt and a very small number of newspapers had the cour age to declare publicly that the de cision was a miscarriage of Justice Gradually others are getting over their scared feeling, and are saying what they think about it. Attorney-Gen eral Hadley, of Missouri, Is one of the latest to make his views known, and he has done it In no uncertain terms, Even if he had used less vigorous lan guage than asserting that the appel late court was "either blinded by prej udice or by an unfortunate disposition to obscure the merits of a controversy by strained and irrelevant technical! ties," he would have shown sufficient reason for radical changes in the prin ciples governing the duties of appel late courts. Whether one believes that the court was prejudiced or not, there can be little doubt that there should be a statute limiting the right of an appellate court to reverse trial courts. As Attorney-General Hadley well said, no judgment in a civil or criminal case should be reversed unless the court can affirmatively say upon the entire record .that the Judgment Is for the wrong party and that but for the error complained of a different Judgment would have been rendered. This seems entirely reasonable. If the proper verdict has been reached what difference does it make if a few minor errors have been committed by the trial Judge? One of, the incon slstencles of legal principles is that we presume an accused man to be inno cent even after there is some evidence of his guilt But when a trial Judge makes any error in the admission of evidence against a defendant, or who varies a little from precedent In giv ing instruction to a Jury, it is pre sumed that the error was prejudicial to the interests of the defendant. The appellate court does not look to see whether the evidence shows the man guilty the presumptions are all In favor of the defendant and against the trial judge. Sometimes the very slightest variation in language which could scarcely mislead any jury as to the guilt or Innocence of an accused man forms the basis for a reversal. A second trial usually results In ac quittals Now that an occasional lawyer has mustered courage to siy what he thinks about the Standard Oil decision and about the faults of our system of Jurisprudence, perhaps the way is opening for reform. WATEn RIGHTS AND TITLES. In addresses which he has been de livering at Development League meet ings in Western Oregon, State En gineer John H. Lewis has been urg ing the need for legislation upon the subject of water rights. While this is a subject of greater interest in Eastern Oregon, it is rapidly becoming important in Western Oregon, where water powers are being developed and where the advantages of Irrigation are becoming known. Because each section of the state desires that the industrial welfare and general pros perity of every other section be ad vanced by every means possible, It is a subject that will be of Interest even In the coast counties, where no irriga tion is ever thought of. The immense value of water for irrigation and for use as power Js not yet fully appre ciated, but enough is known of the latest wealth hidden in this natural resource to convince any observant man that Oregon has been negligent in enactment of laws governing title to water and the use thereof. The addresses toy Mr. Lewis wtll give the people of the state a better under standing of the entire subject, and whether legislators shall or shall not agree with all his ideas In detail, there will be general acceptance of the main scheme of making titles to water certain and preventing the waste of water. When it is said that title to water should be made certain, it is not as sumed that all litigation concerning water can be avoided. What is meant Is that title to water should be as definite and Certain as the title to land and the record of the title should be no less complete and accessible In a great many instances the title to water is more valuable than the title to the land upon which it is used. It is entitled to the same protection ot law. It is clear that, as a man's' own ershlp of land is described by metes and bounds and the description re corded where everybody interested may see it, and whereby the title may be proven, so a man's right to the use of water should be measured by definite and well-known standards and the extent of his right should be a matter of record. The Government makes a survey of land, and prepares plats and other records showing the quantity and location of all land sub ject to settlement or purchase. It prescribes the conditions upon which that land may be acquired and the proceedings necessary to be observed in such acquirement. It defines the manner in which title to land may be conveyed and the evidence which shall be sufficient to prove such con veyance. It make trespass upon land or injury thereto a crime and punishes such crime -by prosecution at public expense. Every one of the governmental acts concerning land is Just as necessary in relation to the use of water, and no reason can be given why there should be discrimina tion. If it is a crime to tear down a neighbor's fence, or steal his growing crops, it should also be a crime to divert the stream of water which he is entitled to use or to interfere with that use in any way. It is the duty of the Government to protect its citizens in enjoyment of their property, and water rights are property as much as are land rights. ' Originally water belonged to the public. Just as land did. Government exercised the right, to declare how much land each individual might ap propriate from the public domain and upon what terms. Ordinarily settle ment and occupancy for a period of years was the chief condition imposed. In a way, use of the land was the theory upon which a man's acquire ment of it was based. It was not required that such use should be per petual in order to make title per petual. Quite likely we shall some day reach the conclusion that every man's title to land should be limited to tha qyantlfcf.-lie can-put to bene ficial use, and that his title (mould be forfeited to the public whenever that beneficial use shall cease. But whether that Is a wise principle in regard to land or not, we have come to a very well settled conviction in this Western country that a man's title to water should be limited to the quantity he can put to a beneficial use and that abandonment of the beneficial use shall constitute aban donment of the title. Government has a right to impose this condition upon acquirement of title to water, and it is wise that the condition should be established. No man should be per mitted to exercise the right to de mand that water shall flow unusued in its channel. His right should cease unless he makes use of it within a reasonable time. "Very probably it would be much better for this country If it were made Impossible for any man to retain title to land, and let It lie idle year after year with no definite plan that it shall ever be used. The first essential in regulating the title to water Is the same as In regu lating the title to land to make a survey in order to determine the quantity and location. The amount of water flowing in a stream at any particular place can be determined as definitely as the quantity of land lying between two mountain ranges. When the total quantity has been ascer tained, it becomes possible to deter mine each individual's portion and the quantity remaining unappropri ated. The survey must be the basis of the apportionment of both land and water. After this has been estab lished and definite rights have been acquired, there will be little difficulty in protecting each Individual In the enjoyment of that to which he is en titled. Trespass upon water rights will be no -more frequent than tres passes upon land, when individual rights in the one have been made as definite as in the other. It should require no larger or materially dif ferent force of officers to prosecute in one class of trespassers than is required in the other. Evidence as to a man's right and title to water, if made a matter of record, is as clear as evidence of title to land. When water titles have been made definite and certain, and have been guaranteed, the same governmental protection that is accorded to land titles, there will be strong induce ment for homeseekers and manufac turers to come here and appropriate or purchase water rights for irrigation or power purposes. The development of the resources of the state requires that valid title to all kinds of property be protected by law. In the past generation, or since the time of Grant, the Methodists and the Presby terians have been far more represented than all other denominations put together In the White House and among Presidential candi dates. Grant, Hayes and McKlnley were credited to the Methodists and Tllden, Blaine. Cleveland, Harrison and Bryan to the Prea- byteriane. Greeley was a Unlversallst. al though varloua kinds of eccentric, ethical and religious Ideas were attributed to htm; Gar field was of the Campbellltes, and once had been a preacher among; them; Arthur had Episcopalian affiliations and Roosevelt la ot the Dutch Reformed stock. Chicago Journal. The great chiefs of the Democratic party, Jefferson and Jackson, were "Inifidel";" and Lincoln, if anything, was a Unitarian in belief, or perhaps better called a Theist. A little girl on Friday offered Em peror Wllhelm a picture of himself for ten pfennig, or of "Wllhelm and King Edward for fifteen pfennig." Whereupon, says the faithful Court Boswell, in narrating the incident, the Emperor remarked: "By myself, you see, I am worth ten pfennig, but when Joined to another I am worth only seven and a half." That is for Eng lish and American consumption, of course. What the Emperor really said, no doubt, was: "How in the name of all my royal ancestors does anyone make out that King Edward is worth five pfennig?" I am making my first Inspection tour through Oregon and am viewing all the Har- rlman properties. Of course we expect to put this road through aa soon ae practical, and therefore I am Interested In knowing what kind of a country Tillamook Is. Prom an Interview with Julius Kruttschnltt, director of maintenance for the Harrlman system. What! Mr. Harrlman's road? No, indeed; Mr. Lytle's road. Of course Mr. Harriman may have been able last year to stop work on Mr. Lytle's road, by discharging the workmen, but how does that give him possession and ownership ? The Independence League was obliged to meet at Oakland, Cal., without the inspiring presence of Mr. Hearst. But perhaps it was not im portant. He can just as well print in his own papers, "applause" and all. the speech he would have made If he had been there. A Michigan health officer reports that out of 135 samples of soft drinks tested by him, 63 contained poison. This is a hard blow at the establish ments advertising the sale of soft drinks in dry counties. It is unlawful to sell hard drinks and dangerous to sell soft ones. Valley towns would better close their gates and post sentinels about the time the Portland police depart ment begins to drive away the inhabi tants of the North End. Those who go must go somewhere. One of the aged negroes who lost his life at Springfield was a "friend of Abraham Lincoln." Once in a while we are reminded by passing In cidents of the powerful lot of personal friends Lincoln had. If enough people were anxious to have the North End cleaned up the task would be a simple one. No North End would exist unless a considerable number desired it. No man knows what moment he will be pushed Into the limelight by some relative who disapproves of his manner of conducting his private af fairs. Secretary of War Wright's recom mendation as to the suspended West Point students has, he says, been ap proved by the President. It goes this time. Bryan has definitely determined to make a thirty days' speaking tour of the Middle West That settles it. Mr. Taft can get ready to move in. Mr. Lafe Pence says Mr. Ross tried to "do him up." .Evidently Air. Ross has commendable qualities which have lately been overlooked. TOPICAL VERSE A Little Gentleman. Exchange. I know a well-hred little boy who never say "I can't; He never fays -Don't wan to, or got to," cr 'Vou shan't; He never aavs "I'll tell mamma! You've or call his playmates "mean. i A lad more careful of his speech Tm sure was never seen! He's never ungrammatloal he never m tiona "ain't"; J A single word ot slang from him wonis, make hla mother faint!' And now I'll tell you why it la lest this should aeem absurd l ; He's now exactly six months old, and can not apeak a wordl Living-. Houston Post. Work, alwaya work. Till your eyes grow dim. Till the heavy years Make slow fich limb, Till you bow and stagger Beneath the strain. Then atop and figure The things you gain. Nope, not for me When the Summer oatls. When the river -teapa O'er the waterfalls With a roar of glee. And the trout He low In a shaded pool Where the alder growl Nope, not for me I For I haven't time When the country calls, And the hills to ollmb Are malting me; I must up and go To the treeless heights Where the breezes blow. X must swim and fish In the twisty creek. And mufiT ramble free Week after week Where no one tells Me the things to do, And the birds sing loud And the skies are blue. And must He at length 'Neath a spreading tree And list to tha hum Of the honey bee. And the winds that whtsye And bend the boughs. And the nicker of horses And low of cows. I must go and go Till I'm far away J Where sunbrowned chlMrem Are out at play, I shall never die Worth a mint of gold. But I'll live and laugh Till I do grow old. J. M. XJ5WT. Italy in America. Catholic Standard and Times. 6Ignor, 1 now weel epeaka true Som theengs dal gon' surprlsa you Baycauae you have not ondrastood Italian people vera good. Ah! you weel see w'at eet shall b Eef you weel leee'en now to me. Een all dees Una blgga land, Where evratheeng eet eea so grand, An' all men eesa s'pose to be Wan lika 'nother, equal, free. Dere eeB wan mosta noble race Dat should be put een highest place, Baycauae dey play sooch blgga part Een evra beex'nesa. evra art. For mak' so younga land like deea To be da greata theeng eet ees. Bavhold! da grand Italian race! Com", see w'at pride ees een my face. Ah! vera manny. manny year We been sooch leetle people here. But now all dat eea gon' be change. you theeenk da Wat I say ees straotre Ah! yes. but true. Eh', how I know? Big. wlsa man he tal me so. Tou laugh. I s'poee you theelt dat he Dat tal all deesa news to me Ees like mysal', Italian. Not so: he eesa 'Merfoan. An' he ees vera reech and' swell I weesh dat you could hear heem tal Wat granda theencs ees gona be For poor Italians lika me, Dat weel he wise an' "boost da game" Ev holpln' Master Wat-Hees-Name . Tou know dat bliiga faata gont Dat's goln' be 'lecta President. Ah! vera manny. manny year We been sooch leetla peopla here. But now we look you In da face Bayhold da grand Italian race! A Ballad of Bores. New York Sun. A pack of aorry bores there be Beneath the sun wide wandering; The knave with arrogance, pardle. Who vaunts hlmeeir as notn e, n.ing The charlatan who strives to sing With no more voice than hath a ghostl Sooth. I am bored by many a thing. But lack of money bores me moatl The smirk and widely colfTed ladye With ribband gay and eke with ring I The Jester blithe, whose bonhommle Is but the cloak for atah or sting; The minstrel's endless balladlng: The soldier who does naught but boast, Sooth, I am bored by many a thing. But lack of money bores me moat! The lover sighing langoroualy In beechen alleys reeh with Spring' The dame forednne with Jealousy Who to her lord must cleave and ellnc' Myself what time I cannot bring Keen appetite to Juicy roast; Sooth. I am bored by many a thing, But lack of money horea me moatl EXVOY. Comrades,' while I am Journeying Along life's stern and stormy coast, Sooth, I am bored by many a thing. But lack of money bores roe moatl Fly Time. Detroit Free Proas. There Is a look within her eye. The flies have learned to fear; And when she goes about the room A slapping noise I hear. A paper In her hind ahe wields In fashion murder-wlae: Bmash! what a deadly aim is hers. When Nellie's killing flies. On window pane, or parlor w4V The tell-tale spots remain, Showing the many pesky tiles My gentle wife has slain On mantel shelf, on tabouret. On every piece we prise, Down falls that deadly paper club. When feme's killing nies. What hunter bold has ever crept I'pon the sleeping bear With bated breath and stealthy foot. Tiptoeing to his lair Will understand the strategy. The cunning that she tries. To creep upon her resting pre When Nellie's killing flies. Oh. ever handy Is her club; And should a fly appear, Bhe watches him with eagle eye Until he settles near. And then, with cat-like pounces she Is at htm. and he dies. Crushed Into pulp for being there. When Nellie s killing flies. Once while I wis wrapt In thought. Just Idly dreaming there, A little fly. aa yet untaught. Took ambush in my hair. Quick as a flash she struck a blow That took me by surprise. And never more I'll fall asleep When Nellie's killing flies. The Salaried Man. Detroit Free Press. He gets his "twenty-per" each week, enougU to pay bis way. He doesn't own a country home, a yacht out in the bay; ....... .v . Three children romp about his door, thai self-same door is rented. But still he smlleB his way along, with ail the world contented. He meetB his bills as they fall due, at nicht sleeps like a top, And resting sweetly never fears that eopper stock will drop. Ho plods along right faithfully and when his work is done He calls his children round him for the evening hour of fun; His weary wife looks through the door and smiles to see tnem mere. And in her heart there's gentle peace, her soul Is free from care She hums a little song of love and kisses one and all. She fears no market crash to drive her hus band to the wall. Oreat wealth has never seared their souls or spoiled their simple lives. And on their hearth rank envy's weed sel dom, aye! never thrives; Modest their dress and plain their food, tha greatest ot their joys. The love they bear each other and the love they bear their boys. Theirs is a struggle, sometimes hard, out all the odds they face With calmness, for they have no fear of ruin or dlsgraoe. Oo forth today and tread your way along the city street. Who la the happiest man of all that you may chance to meet? Not he whose wealth uncounted Is, not he of splendid fame. Not he who boasts a world of power, not he of public name; But he, the unassuming man, whose face U homeward turr.ed To greet his wife and little ones, his dally wase well earned.
