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IMrARTIAL TESTIMO.XY.
The presumption txW that tha
differences between Colonel Roosevelt
and President Taft arose Ion before
the 0!niT rrturn from Africa In
110. Garfield had een ignored and
rinc-hot had been tlUmlwd by the
1'reslilent: and nearly all the Innumer
able more or les trilling Incident that
arc supposed to hive contributed to
1 he estrangement between the two
friend mere already a part of history.
Hut Ctlnei Roosevelt was able then
to rL-e u;erl-r to all personal griev
ances. If h had any. for he refused to
e drawn Into any controversy with the
PreHdent. On the contrary. Colonel
lloo.-evelt as temporary chairman of
-h Saratoga convention. September
17. 110. made a speech In which he
"hus specifically Indorsed the Taft Ad
ministration: "We come, here feeling that we have
the right to appeal to the people from
the standpoint of National
achievement. A long list of laws em
bodying legislation most heartily to
be commended as combining; wisdom
with progress have been enacted by
w-mgress and approved by President
Tart.
The amendments to the Interstate
mmmerce law; beginning of a National
Irtrlflatlve programme for the exer
rise of the taxing power in connection
with big corporation doing an Inter
atate business; the appointment of a
?ommUlon to frame measure that do
way with the evils of overcapitaliza
tion and of Improper and excessive
sus of stocks and bonds; the law
providing for publicity of campaign
expenses; the establishment of the
maximum and minimum tariff provi
sions and the exceedingly able nego
tiation of the Canadian and other
treaties In accordance therewith; the
inauguration of the policy of pro
viding for a disinterested revision
of tariff schedule through a
liiah class commission of expert
which will treat each schedule
purely on Its own merit with
kiew both to protecting the consumer
"rom excessive prices and to securing
the American producer, and especial
ly the American wage worker, what
will represent the difference of cost
In production here as compared with
Ihe cost of production countries!
where labor is less liberally rewarded:
the extension of the laws regulating
safety appliances for the protection of
Ubor; the creation of a bureau of
mines these and similar laws, backed
tip by Executive action, reflect high
credit upon all who succeeded In put
ting them In their present shape upon
Ihe statute books: they represent an
earnest of Ihe achievement which Is
yet to come, and the beneticence and
far-reaching Importance of this work,
done for the whole people, measure
the credit which Is rightly due to the
ifKty-flrst) Congress and 10 our able,
upright and distinguished President.
William Howard Taft."
No other has said more for Presi
dent Taft. or said It more clearly,
truly and convincingly, than. Colonel
JJooeevelU hi present opponent for
Ihe Presidential nomination. The
Roosevelt approval of Taft came at a
time when he was not a candidate, but
when he had ceased to be an ally, ad-
Iser and close friend. Presumably It
has the merit of Impartial testimony.
MR. BOTsrORD'S ERRORS.
Mr. Botsford. who write a letter to
day, fumlnhes some tariff history of
which The orcgonlan had heretofore
been entirely unaware. For example.
?tr. Botsford Informs us specifically
that the National Republican platform
of 190$ pledged the paxty and the
President to "revise the tariff down
ward." Some one has read the signifi
cant word "downward" Into the Bots
ford copy of the Republican platform.
It appears In the text of no platform In
possession or within reach of this
paper. The official Republican plat
form of 1S0S declared "unequivocally
for revision of the tariff by a special
session of Congress." and proclaimed
the "true principle of protection to
be a tariff for the "Imposition of such
duties as will equal the difference be
tween the cost of production at home
and abroad, together with a reason
able profit to American Industries." On
this platform President Taft was elect
ed. The country was committed to
protection from custom, from tradi
tional policy and from repeated af
firmation. The President could not
lg"iore the fact.
fc"u we have no purpose to deny
that the country favored then, as It
f-ivors now. a revision of the tariff
downward. It l unquestionable that
Congress. Republicans and Democrats,
falie.1 to respond adeT'ately and ain
crely to the general demand, and pur
sued In Its con.-lderatlon of the tariff
the historic methods of barter, traffic
and logroll that had attended the pas
see of every other tariff bill. But the
President made a determined effort to
get concessions from the entrenched
f.rces of protection graft that dom
inated, both parties In Congress, and
lie succeeded In part.
Mr. Botsford's complaint seems to
be mainly that President Taft did not
usurp the function of Congress and
Mmsrlf enact a tariff bill. He had
enough Influence to procure the ac
ceptance of the corporation tax and
the nonpartisan . tariff board In the
measure: therefore he ought, accord
ing to the Botsfofd argument, to have
"Induced them to reduce schedule K
anl other objectionable schedules."
The President vehemently objected to
the lumber, the cotton and other
schedules: and concessions were made
bv Congre-s. although Mr. Botsford
sars that "there Is no evidence that
he objected to any part of the tariff
except schedule K." There la abun-
dant evidence that he objected point
edly and persistently to many sched
ules. The evidence 1 obtainable by
Mr. Botsford and any others arho will
take the trouble to look up current ac
count of the hlatory of the Tayne
Aldrich bill.
Let us be fair and reasonable about
the President and the Payne-Aldrleh
bill. LaU ua recall the history of the
times and the preceding tariff agita
tion. Let us get all the facts and un
derstand them In their relation to the
public demand for a new tariff bill and
the general approval of the meritorious
plan of taking the tariff out of poll
tic through a permanent nonpartisan
board. Let u value at us true wonu
thrt President' own project of sub
stituting a constitutional corporation
tax for an unconstitutional Income tax.
Let u appreciate the Congressional
situation, with both partle struggling
for tactical advantage and the Indi
vidual Congressman, almost without
exception, opposing strenuously any
and every proposal to reduce the tar
iff on any Industry In which his con
stituents were Interested. Let us
agree that a hair loaf Is better than
nc bread. Let us remember also that
the President ha, for reason entirely
unaccountable, been subject to harsh
er and more critical public Judgment
than any other President In recent
history. Let tts give him the square
deal to which he Is plainly entitled.
THE BIO DEMOCRATIC UTICK.
Hailing man wn'l vo fer Boome.
Bourns mn won t vota for Pallln. Taft
man wont vota for Rooaavalt. Rooaavalt
nan won t rota for Taft. La Follnta mrn
won t vota for elthar Taft or Rooaavalt. And
whom will they vota for? Has tha answar
In the rairooratl- mll tha sml! that
won't rub on this year. Oraton city
Courier.
The divisions and contentions of the
Republican party are the opportunity
of the Democratic party. Mr. Bourne
has a little party of hi own within the
Republican party: and he use party
olely for his own gain. If the party
nominate Bourne. Bourne I a Repub
lican: If the party nominates some
other. Bourne Is not for such a Re
publican. It is a rule that works one
sty Bourne's way. It's flno for the
bovs. but tough on the frogs.
But let us watch that Democratic
smile and see it fade away as the great
Baltimore battle approaches. Mr.
Bryan reads Harmon and Underwood
out of the Democratic party and he I
suspected of having a rod In pickle
for Champ Clark. He will Indorse
M'oodrow Wilson perhaps. But after
all Just one man attains the high Bryan
Ideal, and that man Is not Wilson, nor
Clark, nor Underwood nor Harmon.
You may talk about your third term,
but after all Bryan has not yet had
more than two consecutive nomina
tions. Tread lightly, smile softly and carry
a big stick, is the advice of a great
man. There are many Democrats who
will accept the big stick feature of the
Roosevelt adjuration this coming
Summer.
THE BRITISH CBIM.
A social revolution Is being forced
on, the British Empire by the demand
of "the coal miners that a minimum
wage for their industry be fixed by
law. The miners" federation ordered
a strike for a minimum wage through
out the coal mining districts of 11.10
a day for men, 50 cent for boys. The
government brought about a confer
ence between miners and owners, at
which 60 per cent of the latter con
ceded the principle, but the miner
refused to end the strike unless all
mine owners conceded not only the
principle but the rates demanded. The
strike had thrown Into Idleness not
only a million miners but two million
persons In other Industries, bringing
many to the verge of starvation, caus
ing ten of thousand to become de
pendent on public charity at a time
when the taxpayers were already over
burdened and multiplying the price of
coal several times. The miners had
successfully "held up" the United
Kingdom and the British nation threw
up its hands.
The minority of the mine owners
remaining obdurate, the government
sought to end the strike by making
compulsory the adoption of the princi
ple of the minimum wage. It Intro
ducd a bill providing that the mini
mum wage In each coal mining dis
trict should be fixed by a district
board. This bill, which ha now be
come law, does not satisfy the miners,
for they Insist that the rate of mint
mum wage be named In the bill. But
Premier Asqulth refused to go fur
ther and. although his law makes such
a radical concession to the miners,
they reject It and the labor party
voted against It. Cursed by the mine
owners for putting himself In the
power of the miners by entering Into a
political alliance with the labor party.
condemned by the Idle millions and
the consumer a the most convenient
scapegoat for their woes and held up
by the Torle a the spokesmen of the
national disgust, he may find It neces
sary to compel obedience to hi bill and
to Incur the curses of the miner also.
Though the legal adoption of the
principle of the minimum wage In the
coal mining Industry Is well described
a revolutionary the real revolution
began three year ago when a bill wa
passed establishing the same principle
In four Industries, tailoring and gar
ment making, paperbox making, lace
and lac curtain making and chain
making. These are commonly known
as "sweated" Industries In which wo
men and children are chiefly employed.
This law ha been effective In rais
ing the level of wage by forcing the
less scrupulous employer to pay the
wage which the more humane were
willing to pay but for their competi
tion. But that law was designed to re
lieve unorganized, helpless women and
children whom It treated as wards of
the state. The bill now under discus
sion Is for the benefit of men so
strongly organized that they are able
to take the nation by the throat and
extort their terms.
Tho minimum wage strugglo is rev
olutionary because It accentuate the
class division and the class struggle
whk-h becomes more bitter year by
year and promises to put the "under
dog" on top. On the one hand w-e
And the workman whose wages already
yielding no more than a bare subsist
ence have shrunk In purchasing power
10 per cent since 100. 20 per cent
since 1891. On the other hand, we
have the Investor whose sole Idea Is to
get a larger dividend on his money
and regard the workman as a piece of
machinery employed to grind out the
largest possible dividend at the lowest
possible cost. The extreme of the
Investor' viewpoint Is well Illustrated
by a letter which w-as written by a
stockholder to the chairman of the
London ft Northwestern Railway In
response to the concessions made to
employes after the strike of last year.
It reads:
I think It atmptr diairoathji for yon to
srnd round this appral to )our wretched
TDTE SUNDAY
aharaholdara. who ar racalrlns laaa dlvl
dnd this yaar than thay ought to. owing;
to tha abomlnabl way tne man nnwm w
havad. and thalr grasplns avarlca. to which
you and other dlractora hava ao waakly
ylcldad. and whlrh have thareby so aarloualy
reduced our locum. Damn you. I yl
This letter wa read at a meeting at
which the usual dividend of 7 per
cent wa declared, while the workmen
whoa "grasping avarice" Is de
nounced have been getting $5.50 and
16 a week. Its callous greed is not
general, but its occasional outbreak
Into word explains to a large degree
the embltterment of the working class.
Add to It the chronic Irritation caused
by a haughty assumption of superior
ity among tbe rich and titled and we
have the explanation of the threaten
ing or social revolution in Great
Britain.
The most striking political effect of
the crisi 1 the virtual return of Mr.
Balfour to the Tory leadership. The
blunders of Mr. Law. hi succesor.
have given Mr. Asqulth several oppor
tunities to score heavily and have In
clined the Tories, who a few month
ago cried. "Balfour must go," to say,
"Balfour must return." But In such
a crisis even Balfour doe not push
criticism of the bill to the point of
attempting to prevent its passage. To
do o would Involve readiness to un
dertake Its solution by his own party.
The Tories are ready enough to blame
Mr. Asqulth for having produced such
a condition and to criticise his meas
ures of relief, but they fear to under
take hi task themselves.
M.RVKt SOT THAT YE MIST BE
BORX AGAIN."
In a rambling "Idyl for Old Folk"
In a recent number of the New York
Independent. K. P. Powell shows how
beautiful, enjoyable r.nd withal how
practical the world of today can look
through the lenses of age when cheer
fulness rules and rebirth 1 a mat
ter of every day. He argues that the
opportunity for and the Invitation to
rebirth are matters of every day to
those who love life and rlne to meet
Its dally recurring opportunities. He
asks men and women grown old in
years: "Are you new every day and
a little newer, or are you Just grow
ing old, in accordance with an event
that occurred forty or fifty years
ago?"
Making answer to this question by
Illustration that fit more, people than
It should in this age of new birth, Mr.
Powell says:
I have neighbor, whether In the North
or In the Koufh I will not tell, to whom a
creed that take In two or three of the
the aM Council of two thousand years ago
la more Important than creating a new
sort of grape, or making the soil bring
forth twice aa much grain. To ma the grape
la more Important. 1 do not rare what
Paul believed when he wrote the K.plll to
tha Ephealana; I want to know what he
think about women ipeaklng In meeting
since the California election.
This philosophy Is of the progres
sive type that Is worthy of t-areful
consideration and Indorsement. It rep
resents the touch with the present
fhe human touch that has shaken off
the green mold of the ages. Rebirth
Is not necessarily an ages-old dream, a
shadowy promise, a mystical adjura
tion. It can be made a thing of to
day an event of every day. "Marvel
not that ye must be born again." It
is Nature's way not the way of the
mystic. "Even China faces round to
the sun."
REVISING THE BIBLE.
Moved by that wide popular Interest
In the Bible which was so manifest
during the celebration of the tercen
tenary of the authorized version a
number of Kngllsh scholars have me
morialized the Archblfhop of Canter
bury to appoint a committee to pre
pare a more correct translation of the
New Testament than we now possess.
It will occur to many that the revised
version xf I SSI ought to satisfy their
requirements, but it doe not. They
rind much fault with that scholarly
work. Among other things they say
of It that It often spoils tho rhythm
which is so much of a charm In the
authorized version. Now, and then
beauty of style is sacrificed to a pedan
tic llteralness and it often happens
that the revisers have changed the ac
cepted phraseology without any good
reason, thus wantonly Inflicting pain
on the mind of the pious reader. We
need not give too much weight to con
siderations of thU sort. The Arch
bishop of Canterbury pointedly re
marks that the same objections were
made to the King Jame version when
It wa new. The mere fact that a
translation of the sacred text contains
unfamiliar expressions renders It dis
agreeable to a certain type of men.
A new translation of the New Testa
ment bearing the approbation of the
Archbishop of Canterbury would bo
a pleasant work to possess. No doubt
it might be made more accurate In
some particulars than any that Is now
accessible. Better still It would coma
with an ecclesiastical prestige which
would go far to atone for any error
It might contain. But for practical
purposes we cannot see that the world
would bo much the gainer by It. Any
person who really wants to know what
the Bible says can easily satisfy him
self without waiting for the consent
of high church authority to a new
translation. Many translations have
been made In recent years some of
which are of more trustworthy schol
arship than any sanctioned by the
churches. Men of great learning have
undertaken the task of rendering the
sacred text Into Kngllsh without theo
logical bias or sectarian preferences.
The famous Polychrome version shows
the reader how various manuscript
sources were united and manipulated
to produce the text we now have. This
is done by printing the numerous con
tributions In different colors and It
brings out the five different 'Isaiahs,
the two conflicting accounts of the
creation in Genesis and so on with ad
mirable clearness. For a person who
has no denominational ax to grind one
of these modern translations made
olely In the interest of exact scholar
ship is preferable to either the King
James or the revised version.
Perhaps, upon the whole, the most
satisfactory- edition of the Bible for
secular reading Is Professor Moulton's.
In this the various books are printed
without the annoying division into
verses whichxloes so much to make
the Bible meaningless. The Psalms and
Solomon's Pong are thrown Into the
J form of poetry a wa originally in
tended. The misleading and often ab
surd chapter headings of the King
James version are omitted and ex
planatory note give the reader a real
Insight Into the author' meaning. The
Information Ihus offered la genuine.
It Is very different In It nature from
the cut and dried comments upon the
Scriptures which often pass for Infor
mation. It ought to be as desirable
now for the Bible to be understood
accurately as It was In Tyndale's
time. That pioneer translator said
hi purpose was to make the Scriptures
"plain to the boy that driveth the
OREGOXIAX, rORTLAXP.
plow," and he succeeded in essentials.
I ..latlna In text
licit; were jiiumktiii. . v . o
and meaning -which he did not solve
and obscurities which he could not Il
luminate, but. upon the whole, they
were not of much importance. The
essential religious power of the Bible
came out In his translation, as we know
from tryt effect It had upon the history
of England. After all. fine scholarly
question about the Bible are In the
nature of luxuries for men of leisure.
They do not much concern the mass
of mankind. All that the common
people need Is a plain guide to heaven
and this Tyndale gave them.
But time has destroyed the value of
his translation In great part, as it has
also that of the King James version.
Language which was perfectly clear
to the common man In tiose days Is
now obscure. Words hive altered
their significance. Some have droppea
out of use. Grammatical forms and
structures have been modified. The
antique verb endings and pronouns
which appear In the King James
translation are a distinct hindrance to
our understanding of the Bible. The
reaaer s mina is pcrirt.uiiiiy f....v.
from the purport of the text to these
; unfamiliar accidents. Almost by ne
cessity he attaches to the grammatical
forms a sacred ness which ought to be
long to the meaning and the whole af
fair tends to become one of words
merely. The people of our day are as
much entitled to a Bible In their own
vernacular as were those of Tyndale's
time. Why should we be compelled to
receive our religious light through the
obscure mists of obsolete language?
The salvation of our souls Is the most
Important duty which we have to per
form In this earthly pilgrimage. Why
not publish our only guide in language
which Is familiar to all?
FREDERICK THE GREAT.
Frederick the Great, of Prussia, was
born 200 years ago. The month of
his birth was January and the year
1712. When he died In 1785 he had
completed the task of raising Prussia
from an Insignificant speck on the map
of Europe to one of the greatest
powers in the world. In the Interval
the American revolution was fought
and won. Voltaire lived out nis
strange and significant life and Goethe
laid the foundation of his fame. But
Frederick cared little for Goethe or in
deed for any of the modern movements
which centered around that great man.
In the course of his reign the profound
social and literary tendencies which
transformed Europe from feudalism to
democracy were at work but Frederick
scarcely discerned theru. He belonged
to the older epoch. He loved the In
sidious wit and daring Irony of Vol
taire, but he comprehended almost
nothing of the consequences which
were infolded In the genius of that
wonderful man. Frederick was a
tyrant by disposition and education as
well as by the ancient precedents of
European monarchy. All the monarchs
of the world were absolute In his time,
except the British, and If they were
not tyrants It w-as because some of
them were too merciful and some too
lazy.
Frederick was neither merciful nor
lazy. From early boyhood his terrible
old father. Frederick William, taught
him the gospel of hard work and work
wa his Joy till the end of his life.
When he was a youth he rebelled
against the crude barbarism of 'hla
father's discipline, but It was of no
use. The harsh savage treated Freder
ick a if he were a common peasant
lad when it came to the assertion of
authority and punished both him and
his friends with ruthless severity for
every infraction of his rules. The
youth was rated like a disobedient cur
before the army which he wa after
ward to lead to victory. He was even
whipped in public by his father. The
old King had discerned the signs of
superiority in his son and showed his
dread of it by relentless persecution.
When Frederick w-as finally driven to
run away he was' caught and Impris
oned. Katte. the friend who aided his
flight, was put to death. If cruel
treatment could have blighted his In
telligence Frederick the Great would
have been an Idiot when he ascended
the throne of Prussia. But he was one
of those persons who can suffer im
mensely without letting the conse
quences sink too deeply into the soul.
He was born with a fine as well as a
coarse side to his nature and neither
of them was ever lost. In his younger
days he learned to play the flute,
wrote .poetry all his life and greatly
admired French literature. All things
French had an enduring charm for
him. He was ambitious to shine a an
author. His acquaintance with Vol
taire began with a request from the
young prince to the great writer to
criticise some of his verses. A'oltalre
responded gracefully and thus a corre
spondence was opened which led to
friendship, enmity and quarrels that
have been the delight and scandal of
the world ever since.
When Frederick became King he
treated hi father's old favorites Just
as the Emperor William of our day
treated Bismarck. Some of them he
insulted, others were tolerated with
cold politeness, none of them were
favored. - So It was again with the
friend of his youth. Naturally, many
had stood by him under his father's
cruelty expecting their reward later
on. Frederick forgot them all or
frowned upon them as Shakespeare
made Henry V frown on FalstafP.
Nothing Is more treacherous than the
favor of the sons of princes. One of
Frederick's long cherished ambitions
was to found an academy of sciences
like the French academy. This he did
early In his reign and Invited the cele
brated Maupertuls to be its president.
Maupertuis w-as the Frenchman who
measured a degree of the earth's me
ridian In the Arctic regions and thus
demonstrated the flattening at the
poles. Hence his glory was great. But
Frederick also wanted Voltaire who
was greater, and by glided promise
and floods of flattery he at last per
suaded the shrewd old infidel to visit
Berlin and Join the academy. Once
there Voltaire quarrelled with every
body in sight. He wrote scurrilous
pamphlets against Maupertuls, plunged
Into .disreputable money transactions
and misbehaved himself In every way
he could think of. Frederick was a
tyrant and a miser, Voltaire was an
elf and a Shylock. Their disastrous
love affair ended in Voltaire's flight
but the King caught him at S trass
burg and put him In Jail. To pay for
the insult Voltaire composed a "secret
history" of Frederick which Is prob
ably the most libellous book ever
written.
Frederick's first adventure in a
military way was the invasion of
Pllesia. This territory belonged to
Austria and Maria Theresa was its
sovereign. But Frederick wanted It
and according to his ethics, that was
reason enough for invading it 8t the
head of his perfectly disciplined army,
J
MARCH 31 ; 1912.
His father was an organizing genius
and Frederick himself was a master
of warlike strategy. Historians rank
him among the greatest generals who
have ever lived. He easily won Silesia
from the Queen, who was taken by
surprise, but keeping It was a very dif
ferent affair. It cost him, first and
last, more than twenty years of fight
ing. In the last seven years of the war
he had Austria. Sweden. France and
Russia against him at the same time
and was without a solitary ally but
such was his amazing resourcefulness
that though he was often beaten on
the field he was alway able to keep
up the fight and In the end he came
off conqueror. When he had gained
a decided superiority over his foes the
British under Pitt came to his assist
ant with their usual carefully timed
! generosity. The result of Frederick's
statesmanship ana wariare was xn
establishment of the Prussian mon
archy on a firm basis as one of the
foremost state of Europe. During
Napoleon's time its power was in
eclipse, but since then its progress has
been almost unbroken.
In spite of the Incredible contra
dictions in his character Frederick de
serves the title "Great" far better than
most monarchs to whom it has been
awarded.
CRIMINALS OR MARTYRS?
The British courts have now begun
to take the suffragettes seriously and
the new batch who are on trial will re
ceive camparatlvely long sentences.
Some of them are going to Jail for four
months, some for six. Hereafter any
woman who Joins a conspiracy to
smash windows in London may prob
ably expect to be dealt with substan
tially as if she were a male tough.
No doubt this will be a deep satis
faction to the suffragettes. Inasmuch
as they profess to wish to be treated
exactly like men. But we are Just now
interested in another aspect of this
curious business. What will be the
psychological effect upon the British
public of harsh treatment toward
these women? Will the thick-headed
English voter ultimately take them for
common criminals or for martyrs? It
is hard to say. Most ot the notable
reforms which have been effected in
the course of British history have fol
lowed upon a more or less prolonged
course of violence. . The repeal of the
corn laws, the extension of the suf
frage to the humbler classes of male
claimants, the mitigation of the woes
of Ireland, are examples of what we
mean. By going a little farther back
in British history we should find
plenty more.
The regrettable fact is that the Eng
lish have seldom moved forward until
they have been prodded pretty severe
ly. As a rule theji have not succeeded
in accomplishing their reforms, no
matter how badly needed, without
revolutionary violence and sometimes
actual revolution. This country has
had one revolution and one civil war.
England has had civil wars by the
dozen, . though most of them were
trifling. It has also had four thorough-going
revolutions, and probably
five. There were the Norman con
quest, the Wars of the Roses, the Puri
tan commonwealth and the expulsion
of the Stuarts in 1688. From this list
we purposely omit the rebellion of the
barons against King John because
some might not call It a revolution.
From 1688 down well Into the nine
teenth century England was disturbed
by revolts in favor of the banished
Stuarts.
We see. therefore, that England's
history has been fairly turbulent. It
has not been by any means that calm
and orderly broadening down from
precedent to precedent which TenYiy
son so beautifully describes. The suf
fragette outbreaks are perfectly in
harmony with the examples of British
procedure afforded by the past. These
women know their own people, and we
should not be surprised if the martyr
dom they look for resulted exactly as
they expect.
EW YORK DIVORCES.
Nobody would think of going to New
York for modern Ideas on either poli
tics or morals. That state, like Penn
slyvanla, dwells In the remote past,
and of all available examples in the
past it has selected the worst possi
ble for Imitation as a rule. Hence the
miserable slough of despond in which
Its unhappy population disconsolately
wallow around without any prospect
of ever getting out. Judge Black
mar's decision In the Hobbs divorce
case illustrates this forlorn condition
as well as anything could. The Hobbs
couple were woefully unhappy to
gether. The husband subjected his
wife to all sorts of insults, neglected
his marital duties, and altogether they
were a badly assorted pair. Still,
Judge Blackmar denied them a di
vorce. He said there were too many
divorces already, as If that had any
thing to do with the deserts of the
cause before him. Theoretically every
suit is tried on its own merits. Prac
tically, as we now learn, decrees are to
be issued or refused according to the
number of similar cases which have
come up. This amounts to saying that
one's fate In court depends not so
much on the merits of his cause as on
the way public opinion is likely to be
affected by his winning It.' If Judge
Blackmar were subject to the recall,
we might see some ground for his ex
traordinary position, but, inasmuch as
he Is perfectly Independent of the mob
and Its whimsies, we should have ex
pected better things of him.
But he goes on to say that mere in
sults by the -husband are no reason
for granting the wife a divorce.
Neither are incompatibility of temper
and neglect of marital duties. When
a wife takes a husband she rather ex
pects to meet some little tribulations
of this sort and should be fortified to
suffer them by a sense of duty. Judge
Dooley, another New York Daniel, com
menting on the Blackmar decision, re
marked that "the idea of the state is
to preserve the home. The family is
the unit of society and the state holds
that It is desirable to keep the family
together as long as possible." In or
der to accomplish this praiseworthy
purpose, the state compels tbe helpless
wife to submit to the Insults of a
drunken husband. What .advantage
to the state there is in a home of this
sort It would be edifying to learn. If
Judge Dooley and hi Judicial breth
ren would Join in a specification of
these advantages, it would be pro
foundly edifying to the entire world.
Men like Judge Blackmar, who have
passed their lives in law offices with
out any real contact with the life of
the world they are helping to make
and mar, have a great deal to say
about "preserving the home," but
when they are asked to say exactly
what they would do to preserve It, they
never get beyond one solitary expedi
ent. They would compel women to
live with men who maltreat them.
This is their only recipe for teeping
the family intact, we nave wo i
divorces. they DianKiy reneraic.
Hence the most painful wrongs must
go on unchecked.
Wa ota rltfinnsted to believe that
there are better ways of preserving
tne Home man Dy iorcms peuiiie w
live together who hate each other.
Such a couple will not only be miser
able themselves, but they will bring
into the world children who must al
most inevitably lead lives of misery.
How can children be properly reared
in a household where there Is perpet
ual wrangling? How can a son re
spect a father whom he sees constant
ly maltreating a helpless woman? How
can children honor fathers and moth
ers whose daily conduct Is a running
stream of dishonor? If the law which
obliges a woman to endure her hus
band's cruelty and at the same time
bear children to be debased by the
sight of it provided some way for the
wife to protect herself from him. con
ditions would not be so bad. But it
does nothing of the kind. All that
"the man-made law" has to say to the
wife is the stupid repetition, "submit,
submit. The courts and the good of
society combine to urge submission
upon you. The husband has all the
rights, you have all the burdens. Such
is the will and there is no more to be
said about it." This Is the New York
view of the question of divorce. , In
that state but a single cause for it is
allowed, the "biblical" one, so that a
wife who is too conscientious to com
mit sin against her own virtue has no
way to free herself from a bad hus
band. The solicitude of the state for the
welfare of the home might be directed
Into more profitable channels than
that of cruelty to helpless wives. Un
happy homes are usually the out
growth of improper economic cuuui
tlons. When a married couple have
too much money to spend, or too little,
peace is distressingly likely to depart
from their abode and discord come in
to dwell with them. When a man sees
child after child appearing in his fam
ily and the means of providing bread
lagging farther in the rear every day
ln spite of all he can do, we need not
be surprised If he wearies of the strug
gle and takes to drink. He ought not
to do so, but since he is a human be
ing he often does. Cruelty follows
and the effectual destruction of the
home. In such a case It accomplishes
no good to deny the wife a divorce.
The family is destroyed, whatever the
court may do, and a few solemn plati
tudes from the common law will not
help matters. These same Judges had
an opportunity to "preserve tho home
the other day when the New York
workmen's compensation act came be
fore them for approval or rejection.
They rejected It, and in doing so bade
hunger and disease stalk into hundreds
of families under their jurisdiction.
After this performance, their solemn
professions of anxiety for the "welfare
and perpetuity of the family" sound a
little too Pecksniffian.
Dr Wilev's expression of gratitude
to President Taft for the protection
given him against character assassins
calls attention to one of the Presi
dent's finest traits. This is the stanch
support he gives to faithful subordi
nates when they are made the targets
of the Administration's enemies. In
the face of the storm of unjust criti
cism leveled at Secretary Balllnger,
Taft never wavered an instant from
the defense of his lieutenant. When
a conspiracy was formed among Wi
ley's fellows in the Agricultural De
partment to drag down the champion
f pure food, Taft sustained Wiley
and rebuked the conspirators. So
faithful a friend to men whom he be
lieves to be wronged cannot but com
mand the admiration of all good, red
blooded men.
The Panama-Pacific Exposition will
be unique among American exposi
tions in two respects. It will be the
first exposition in celebration of a liv
ing event an event of the present.
Former expositions have commemo
orated great events of the past the
discovery of America, independence,
the exploration of the West, the dis
covery of Alaska's wealth. They have
turned our minds backward. This ex
position will fasten our thoughts on an
event then happening and turn them
to the future, which will be molded by
the greatest constructive enterprise
ever accomplished by a nation. It will
celebrate the placing of the Pacific on
an equality with the Atlantic Coast in
accessibility to the modern world.
The Helvetia girls can perfect their
system of benevolent espionage upon
the young men of the neighborhood by
keeping a card catalogue. There
should be a card for each bachelor.
If they are arranged alphabetically
each man's shortcomings can be en
tered systematically and when he
makes bold to pop the question he can
be confronted with his record. The
moral uplift which would ensue can
be Imagined but not described.
The Spanish-American War Veterans
refused to indorse Comrade Seneca
Fouts for District Attorney. Even the
ties of a year's campaigning In the
Philippines could not hold in the light
of Fouts' record and reputation in
civil life.
Is that wanton RIverdale tragedy
the first fruits of the ill-advised cheap
ening of human life in Oregon through
abandonment of capital punishment
the great deterrent to Just such
crimes?
Eventually the Colonel may get into
the dictionary with some such nota
tion as: roosevelt, v. t. to turn a com
plete mental somersault at frequent
intervals.
Shoals of smelt that fairly smother
the Sandy River out of its bed are
merely another manifestation of na
ture's prodigality In Oregon.
In the light of severe defeats in the
field the Madero government Is still
waging a vigorous campaign with its
vocal organs.
Oil the rod, buy some bait and pol
ish up your powers of prevarication.
The Oregon trout season opens to
morrow. Easter bonnet day Is close at hand,
which means a renewed activity in
pipes, stogies and five-cent cigars.
If you fail to register don't com
plain "later on if a few undesirables
and incompetents slip into office.
Moral: When an armed desperado
thrusts his gun in your face, humor
him for the time being.
That w-as an April shower ahead of
schedule yesterday.
Scraps and Jingles
By Leone Casa Baer.
Tomorrow is a National holiday.
a a a
Minding one's ' business is its own
reward.
a a a
I know a woman who sent to the
fish market for gutta percha.
a
When a husband and wife are walk
ing along the street it is a sign of bad
luck for the husband if the wife stops
to look into a hat store.
a a a
Another sign: Spilling of salt 1
very unlucky if you let it land on
your pie.
a a a
In 1915 (Maybel.
By the Lady Policeman.
I have a beat where every hour or bo
I take off for repose.
My salary's in advance, and every week
The latest things In clothes,
A gorgeous hat. with plumes and ratine
band
Of width extreme.
And taxis when it rains say, girls, for
me
It is a Dream!
ir.
I have an office furnished, oh so snug.
And a grand view!
I eat whene'er, and just where'er I
please.
The city pays for It. too.
Pays also for my phone and manicure
And mv cold cream.
And Cyril promenades my beat with
me:
Say, It's a Dream!
a a a
Amended proverb: A fat man has no
friends In a streetcar.
a a a
To be remembered by wives Many
an untrue word is spoken in earnest.
a a
Be right sure you are off with the
new, new love before you are on with
the old playing a return date.
a
Tbe Lament of tbe lrtnbrella Merchant.
I never wrote "Umbrellas for sale"
Trusting to fickle Nature's law,
But when I had to advertise
Came nicest days you ever saw.
It's always thus fate pales
And seems to hate umbrella sales.
ir.
If a big stock I buy.
Thinking it likely still to pour,
Down the mercury drops
And in a day 'twill freeze some more.
Their presence in my window-pans
Is a sure sign it will not rain.
a a a
Things to be remembered Your hus
band's birthdays.
Read where a sign painter stabbed
and killed his boss, William Pitts. Fol.
lowing still his profession of Bill
sticker. a
Neither cause nor take offense'
Is a proverb they'd have us believe,
But if one or t'other you must do,
It's better to give than receive,
a a
An Indiscretion with the hors d'
oeuvre of love has spoilt many a fine
appetite.
a e e
Applause is usually given by people
who need the exercise.
a a e
Miss Calamity Step-and-Fetch-It, the
cultured and charming lady poet from
Kansas, has written the following lit
tle ditty, from the sale of which she
hopes to raise enough money to renew
her poet's license this Spring. She has
labeled it
O, Horrors!
Never, ah surely never
Did eyes so grandly shine.
So flame-like and magnetic
As your'n into mine.
That day I led you up to where
Reposed my gift, on back of chair.
Suspenders for you lovely pair
My own design.
In such wash silks invested
As advertisements have told.
Your initials and mine rested
On a ground of bright gold.
With lovers' knots of palest blue.
Forget-me-nots and roses, too.
In prismatic colors every hue
Stood out so bold!
III.
Alas, for my devotion
And hopes destined to fall,
With undisguised emotion
The horrible end I now recall.
For when you did my present don.
And wear them so I could see 'em on
Oh, woe is me; oh' woe.
They were four sizes small!
Half a Century Ago
From The Oreronlan of March 81, 1M2.
H. Miller writes to the Walla Wall
Statesman under iato of Florence
January 14:
"Scarcely a miner here would staj
by a claim if he were not sure th
it would pay him 25 a day in good
weather. During the Fall, when rockers
could be used to advantage. Instances
of miners making from $300 to ,500 a
day were common, and less than 60
was not spoken of. As high as 140
cunces a day have been taken out.
"The body of a man was found a
short time since on Camas prairie
partially devoured by wolves. No doubt
Spring will disclose the bodies of many
who have perished there."
A party of roughs recently attempted
to trample on the mining laws in
Florence in a disputed claim affair,
when suddenly about 200 resolute men,
armed with rifles and shotguns, came
down upon them unawares and im
mediately put a stop to their maliclom
designs.
Favorable news has been receivec
from Powder River. Diggings were
there yielding from $16 to 20 a day.
Letter from Cariboo Mr. George
Weaver left Beaver Lake on the
28tn of January. The weather had
been very cold from the 1st of Decem
ber to' the date of his leaving, much
colder than at any time last Winter.
The mercury congealed on th night
of the 1st of December; on the 2oth
and 26th of January the mercury con
gealed before sundown with the sun
shining full upon it. Two thermome
ters at Williams Lake burst from the
effects of the cold. Quite a number of
men have been frost-bitten. Flour was
worth $45 a hundred at the forks of
Quesnelle and J90 at Antler Creek.
Bacon at Antler was selling at J1.25 a
pound.
Quite a number of miners, citizens
of Kings Valley. Benton County, ar
rived In town yesterday, bound for the
Salmon River mines.
Mrs. Forbes' benefit This takes place
at the Willamette Theater tonight. On
this occasion the tragedy of "Kvadne.
or the Sister's Honor," will be per
formed. The performance will concluds
with the comedy of "The Love Chase,"
Mrs. Forbes taking the part of Con
stance. . ',