TITE SUXDAY OEEGOMAX, PORTLAND, APRIL 21, 1912.
FORTLAXD. OR EGO.
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fcJSS '
TUB OREGON PRIMARY.
If the Oregon primary had been
held two wwks ago President Tuft
might, mill probably would. have car
ried the state in a three-cornered con
test with Colonel Roosevelt and Sena
' tor La Kollette. If 20.000 votes or
thereabouts, normally iJemm-ratlc. had
bn cast In their own primary, and
the content within the Republhan
ranks left to Republican electors. Taft
might, and probably would, have car
ried the state. Not a Democrat who
appeared at any polling pla.e and
a-ked for a I'.opublii an ballot was for
President Taft. Many of them wi-re
for La Kollette; some of them for
l,..opvelt. It U a condition and not
a theory, which faces the Republican
p-irty at every primary election. The
normal Republican vote must not only
bo apportioned among the repective
candidates, but the Democratic contin
gent which persistently and uiiscrupu.
lonely invades the Republican primary'
for its own purposes mutt be reckoned
with. Democrat In a Republican pri
mary account, for example, for the
probable triumph of Lafferty.
The Illinois and Pennsylvania elec
tions had a disastrous influence on the
T.ift campaign In Oregon: and It In
likely, too. that the personal effort.-
of Senator La Kollette. which vastly
strengthened hf campaign. Inflicted
more damage upon T;tft than upon
I;ooevclt. Hut Illinois and Pennsyl
vania were farts that .-ouM not be
evai'ed or refuted, Candor compels
the statement -that the over" helming
success of Mr. Roosevelt In thes? two
great Republican states and the poor
showing of the President caused many
Republicans to hesitate and to recon
sider rhelr determination to vote for
T.ft. It was clear to many that Colo
rte Roosevelt was to be a factor
before the National Convention
though It was by no means obvious
that he had more than a comparatively
small minority of the delegates. But
the grim and discouraging truth that
stood out above everything was that
the Reruhlltan party was rent and
t'm by dissensions, that the Presi
O'-nt had yet the unshaken allegiance
of only a minority of his party, that
the Republican voters in many states
were in open revolt against the Ad
ministration, and that ti Republi
ran party with Mr. Taft as its candl
late would be threatened with a dis
astrous defeat If not an overwhelming
rout. The deserts of President Taft
the sucres-ful policies of hbt Admin
istration, the admirable qualities of
his great personality, the high ground
upon which he pitches his every act,
the indignities heaped upon him by
I'olopel Roosevelt and his vindictive
friends, the sound precedent against
third term for any President, were all
forgotten or Ignored. The Insurgents
w ere in the saddle and they were going
to ride to victory at any cost or
through any hazard.
The Oregonlan enlisted under the
Tag of President Taft for the campaign
1n Oregon at a time when the contest
appeared to be confined to him and
Senator La Follette. Tt understood per
fectly his weakness as a candidate, and
the restles. and dissatisfied temper of
a Urge and irreconcilable element of
, the party toward him; but It greatly
preferred him to La. Kollette. a It be
lieved the Oregon Republicans would,
upon a complete and proper presenta
tion of all the circumstances surround.
lrg the respective attitudes of the two
candidates; and It urged Mr. Taft'a
renomlnation upon the voters with
what vigor and persuasiveness It pos
sessed. The appearance of Sir. Roose
velt as a candidate was an event not
contemplated bv The Oregonlan nor
by anybody, probably, outside the cir
cle of his Intimate counsellors. It took
liiin at his word when he said he
would under no circumstances be a
candidate. The Oregonlan had a high
appreciation and full understanding of
the great service to the country
"olonel Roosevelt had rendered as
President and it was drawn Into a po
sition of opposition to him much
against Its will. Rut It discharged
nevertheless its duty to President Taft
and Its obligation to Its own con
science without hesitation and without
fear or excuse or repining. It plowed
a straight furrow: it leaves the conse
quences to rare for themselves.
The Oregonlan has done Its share
to achieve the nomination for Senator
of Mr. Selling and the defeat of Mr.
urne. The retirement of Senator
liourne and his elimination as a factor
in Oregon politics is no small achieve
ment! Indeed it Is a great achieve
ment. He has been a disturbing and
demoralizing Influence in Oregon af
f lira all his life. lie has degraded pol
itics: he has disorganized and de
bauched party: he has been the voice
t.f faction and the very spirit of strife
and political manslaughter. He Is In a
large measure responsible for the un
rest, dissatisfaction, non-restralnl. bit
terness and disloyalty that we behold
everywhere today. He gives fealty
long to no good cause; he hss rontrlb.
tited much, by ceaseless agitation and
outright example to more than one
bad cause.
Yet w ithal It was astounding to find
men In Portland who profoundly be
lieved In President Taft and hi poli
cies urging the renomlnation and elec
tion of Senator Bourne because, they
said, he was In position now to get ap
propriations for Oregon. They wanted
Taft to be re-elocted. and they ear
nestly wished his Administration to be
a success; but they manifested their
entire want of political Judgment or
licreMon by seeking the return to
A ashincton of a Senator who would
stop at nothing to embarrass: the Pres.
Idem and would oppose him with all
the great power of the Senatorial of
tico. Moreover, those are the men
who have been deeply anguished- for
many years because the times were out
of J"int, the public tendencies were In ,
opposition to all constituted authority,
and the soapbox orator was abroad In
the land. .Yet they would honor by
conferring upon him a great and dig
nified office the chief agitator of all.
If the Republican party shall find
a nominee at the Chicago convention
who represents fully Its progressive
purposes and who shall be able to rec
oncile its discordant and quarreling
elements. The Oregonlan will be
pleased. Yet it would almost appear
that the factions had reached an im
passe. Perhaps a leader may be found
who will wrest victory from a grave
and perilous situation. AVe hope so.
THE MONSTER SHIT.
We have now' had the true stories
of the wreck as viewed by the ap
palled passengers who were lowered
to life in all too few boats, and
we have also had official statements
from some of the officers and crew
who commanded the lifeboats when
cut adrift with their human freight
upon an icy midnight sea.
Of the Immediate cause of the dis
aster these men were able to speak
Intelligently and with some authority.
Of its underlying cause, however. In
telligent men have already somewhat
freely spoken, making a presentment
which tells of unnecessary haste In
crossing- the ocean: of the great and
wholly unnecessary strain upon ma
rine architects and builders and upon
the owners of great transportation
lines to provide needless luxury for
travelers who demand this because
they can afford to pay for It. building
what are fitly designated as "monster
steamships." with private promenade
decks, palatial suites of rooms, swim
ming ians.3, triuiuf vvuiws ciw. .
rrlvate dining service and the like. It
is for this class that tflese things are
Instituted and not for the masses that
make up the large part of the passen
ger list. It Is to provide room for
these unnecessary adjuncts to steam
ship travel that vessels carrying trans
Atlantic trade have grown .Into ver
itable "monsters" of the world of
traffic: and it Is the great size of these
vessels that render them abnormally
unwieldy when danger menaces, with
out as proven by the swift fate that
overtook the Titanic, the largest of
them all rendering them a whit more
stable tn disaster.
A field of Ice, marshaled In Its
movements by toppling, towering, fro
zen promontories from the Inhospita
ble North that have been unknown
years tn forming, and have finally
broken loose from continents of Ice
and. adrift without chart or helmsman
ijpon an erratic? course. Is beset with
cruel possibilities to smaller craft, but
these stand a far better chance of
avoiding the dangers of the ocean
path when thus beset than do the un
wieldy monsters of modern transpor
tation that, trusting In their mighty
powers of resistance, attempt to plow
these fields with their mighty
bows, without deviating from the
charted track. A fishing smack is
better able to" take care of Itself In an
Ice field than la a modern monster of
transportation, since, knowing her
weakness, she does not tempt disas
ter, while because of her size she Is
able to move quickly when In danger
of Impact.
This Is true also In a larger sense
of ships of medium size that ply in
the transatlantic trade. The size of
these last-named vessels is sufficient
to insure the comfort of their passen
gers; their speed is great enough for
all practical purposes of ocean travel;
well built, staunch and competently
officered, they are as safe as can be
any moving vehicle upon land or sea.
If the calamity of shipwreck which
two continents now, mourn shall In
effect check this absurd Idea In ship
building, the creatipn of the monster"
steamship, as unnecessary and unduly
dangerous. It will not be without Ita
lesson, and ultimately Its blessing to
mankind.
DRIFTING CITYWARD.
The population of the country is
steadily drifting to the cities. Swiftly
and surely our rural population is
grow log less, our city population more.
Thousands and tens of thousands of
new homes are made on the lands of
the West each year; but In spite of that
the farms as a whole are losing and
the cities are gaining every day.
Thirty years ago, by the census of
1880. 70.5 per cent of our people dwelt
In the rural districts, 29.6 per cent In
the cities. In 1890 these figures had
been changed to S3.S and S6.1, In 1900
to 59.5 and 40.5, and by the 1910 cen
sus, the complete compilations of
which are Just being made available,
our rural population has dwindled to.
51.7 per cent and our urban popula
tion has risen from the 29.5 per cent
In 1880 to 4.3 per cent. In other
words In 1880 about 29 out of every
100 of our population lived In the cities
and "0 lived In the country; now there
are less than 54 out of each 100 in the
country, while the city contains over
4.
These figures are startling and par
ticularly so when brought close home.
It is quite true ttlat we are becoming
more of a manufacturing country each
year, and have within the lust SO
years drawn largely on foreign coun
tries for laborers In our mills and fac
tories. But In analyzing the census
returns we find that what we might
consider the agricultural states, if
there are any which can be properly
o called, have built up their cities at
the expense of the farms almost aa
rapidly as the manufacturing states.
Take the Pacific Coast States. Califor
nia. Oregon and Washington. In 1880
their rural population was 6$.8 per
cent: now It Is only 43.2 per cent.
Broadly speaking in the last 30 years
bout 20 out cf each 100 of our popu
lation have deserted the country and
fled to the city.
In Oregon and Washington the
changes have been such as to give
cause for stud whether we are pursu
ing proper methods of bulldng up
our country. We all know that we
are not developing largely as manufac
turers, and that there Is nothing in
the cities to depopulate the rural dis
tricts with profit to those who join
the city throngs. Yet In Oregon 31
out of every 100 of our population
have changed from city to country In
the last thirty years 13 In the last ten
years. "In the State of Washington
the figures are still more startling. In
that state tn the same period, since
1880, more than 40 out of every' 100
of the population have fled cityward.
No state In the Cnlon has fed the cities
at the expense of the country' as Wash
ington has. In 1880 the figures for
that state were 90.5 per cent rural
and 9.5 per cent urban: now they are
47 per cent and 53 per cent, being
very near the ratio for the country at
large, which of course includes the
New "England States, where the ratio
runs as low as 95 in the city to S In
the country.
In Oregon 85.2 per cent of our peo-
pie resided in the country In 1S80,
14.8 per cent Jn the cities; the figures
now are 54.4. In the country to 45.6
In the cities. That Is a better and
more healthful condition than the
Washington figures show, but it Is
certain that we are not gaining ground
as we ought to gain by populating
our vacant lands.
A POWER IX THE UXD.
The Order of the Patrons of Hus
bandry, familiarly known as the
Orange, has no candidate for the
Presidency. It has repeatedly spoken
ror itself upon this point ana always
in decided words. Its members as In-
dividual, in common with other Intel
ligent citizens, have their preferences,
of course, and at proper times and
places speak of these preferences
' and give their reasons therefor freely.
But as an organization they indorse
the candidacy , of no man who seeks
public or political office. '
The reason for this is an obvious
one. It may be tersely expressed In
the words of the wise man: "A house
divided" against itself cannot stand."
E-er alert upon matters that pertain
to the welfare of the farming commu
nity, the Grange as an organization
eschews personalities in politics and Is
not in the booster business for candi
dates for this office or for that.
Speak of good roads, and this
Grange or that has something to say
upon the question; of the parcels post,
and it speaks out decidedly; of co
operative stores and public market
places and It is heard; of fruit pests
and tuberculin tests, and It is ready
with an opinion: of rural electric
'roads, the extension of rural free de
livery, of farmers' Institutes, of the
value of agricultural training of any
matter, in fact, that bears upon rural
questions and industries, and the
Grange Is ready with helpful sugges
tions or plain spoken objection or in
dorsements of proposed methods.
To use a familiar term, indicative of
the faculty of attending to one's own
business, the Grange as an organiza
tion "sticks to Its knitting." In ob
serving the wisdom of this policy and
In strict adherence thereto this organl
zatlon has grown to be a power In
the land.
DR. MO.NTKSSOIU.
Teachers and students of education
all over the civilized world have be
come greatly Interested in the meth
ods of Dr. Maria Montegsorl. This
gifted woman Is a graduate of the
L'niveraity of Rome, where she studied
principally experimental psychology
and pedagogy. Of late she has been
making wonderful Improvements and
discoveries In the education of chil
dren. In the first place she began
some experiments In teaching defec
tive children and it was the unheard of
results which she obtained in this
field which Induced Dr. Montessori to
take up the education of those who
were normal. She mentions In her
book one of the circumstances which,
set her mind to work on this subject.
Tw'o Idiot children were committed to
her charge and by her methods she
taught them to read. She taught them
so well. In fact, that when they came
to be examined at the public school
1 with normal children of the same age
they passed successfully. Dr. Montes
sori ' then asked herself why It was
that the idiot children h'ad overtaken
the normal ones In spite of all the
advantages which the latter possessed
by reason of . their better mental
equipment. Of course, the obvious
answer was that the usual methods of
education stupefied the intelligence of
the pupils while her own enlivened It.
Dr. Montessori teaches boys and
girls to read, write and cipher by
the time they are 5 years old and she
does it without restraining their wills
or subjecting them to any kind of re
pressive discipline. On the contrary
her whole system Is based on the per
fect freedom of the pupil. Her
schoolroom is provided with a garden
into which the little boys and girls go
whenever they like and stay as long
as they wish. At their lessons the
children laugh and talk freely. They
learn without knowing that they are
doing a task. It Is all play tq them.
Naturally, such a method of education
does not fit children for the public
school machine. We shall hear worse
complaints of it than we do of the
kindergarten on this account. It is
said that the kindergarten, with all its
class and group work, so develops the
child's individuality that ordinary les
sons and recitations are extremely un
congenial to him and for this reason
a great many public school teachers
condemn Froebel's Ideas. As they see
It. a child Is mere food for the school
stomach so that nothing Is desirable
which makes him difficult to digest.
Too much individuality is the worst
qualification a pupil can possess in
the ordinary public or private school.
Dr. Montessori proceeds upon thai
principle that the more Individuality
a child has the better for him and for
the world. She thinks that the deep
est of all Injuries to the growing hu
man being is to infringe in any way
upon the natural development of his
faculties. She will not even undertake
to guide them. Her view is that they
ought to be observed, studied, followed.
Nature knows how to make a human
being better than any teacher does.
All that the true teacher can do Is to
give nature a clear track and provide
the materials which will further her
purpose. Nothing must be done for
the child which he can do for himself.
She cites an Instance where a little
boy 2 i years old was trying to think j
out a plan for looking over the heads
of some larger pupils who had sur
rounded an Interesting group of toys.
While the little fellow was busy with
his devices a teacher seized him in
her arms and lifted him up so that
there was nothing more for him to do
but look. Dr. Montessori calls this
"brutal." - It was an unjustifiable at
tack on the buy's Individuality. This
Is typical of her entire attitude. The
pupils are taught at the age of 2 years
to button their own clothes, tie ribbons,
keep their' persons and surroundings
clean and maintain order.
The great limitation of the ordinary
school is that It appeals to but a single
sense, that of. hearing. If the eyes
are used at all It Is only in reading.
The senses of sight and touch and the
muscular sense are Just about totally
overlooked. For instance, the pupil
is taught the definition of a cube as
an object having six equal square faces.
This is admirable as a definition, but
the child gets nothing from It. When
he ha committed the words to mem
ory tie knows no more than Tie did
before how a cube looks and feels.
That Is to say, he does not yet know
what a cube really- Is. Dr. Montessori
makes the pupil close his eyes and run
his fingers along the edges of the
solid. He weighs it In his hand, thus
bringing his muscular sense to bear
upon It. He builds It into various
structures with other blocks, thus, as
it were, apperceiving it through the
handtf. In this way the pupil learns
what part a cube actually plays in
the scheme, of the universe. He
studies It not only as an object In it
self, but In its relations to other ob
jects and he receives It Into his mind
through every possible avenue.
Dr. Mrfntetsorl has three require
ments for lessons. They must be brief,
simple and objective. Repetitions must
not be pushed far enough to weary the
child and no attempt should be made
to Instruct him when he Is not inter
ested. She hammers nothing into his
' ,ead
According to her Idea a teacher
i wno cannot interest a child has no
j place in a school. The value of Dr.
children can get the mechanical pro
cesses of reading, writing and arith
metic out of the way by the time they
are 5 years old. several years will be
gained for teaching them handicraft,
the sciences and literature. We shall
cease to hear the wail that "there Is
no time" for music, drawing and man
ual arts in school. There will be nine
or ten clear years to attend to these
subjects in and- our young people can
leave school at 14 or 15 with a good
store of genuine knowledge In their
l heads. As things go now they get
nothing but the form of knowledg
and precious little even of that. For
knowledge Itself they are obliged to
leave the school and ta"fce to the street
and workshop.
IS AMERICA A rAILl'RK?
"A mother" in the Woman's Com
panlon discourses upon the childless
life, the one-child life and apartment-
house life in connection with these In
a rational human way. It Is as It
were the "heart of Rachel for her chil
dren crying" and refusing to be com
forted. This woman, though ardently
desirlnar to be the mother of six, is
raising one child a son. There is
every indication, in what she says, that
she is a good mother and will strive
to be a judicious mother. But not
only experience, but observation con
vince us that It is easier to be a Ju
dicious mother of six than of one, es
peclally. perhaps. If that one Is a son
As it is, she says that her husband
wouid work no harder and sacrifice no
more for the half dozen for which
she longs than for the one that they
have. It Is the old story that the hen
that can scratch for one can scratch
for ten. Of course no one supposes
that the ten will be as full fed as the
one, but that each will have all that
Is necessary' for subsistence. Is llkely
whlle all must agree that the rustle
apparent In the brood proves con
clusively that industry and the spirit
of getting Jill that Is possible out of
life is Induced by this enforced activ
ity. As against the old-fashioned idea of
working and sacrificing to bring up a
family of from four to six or ten chil
dren, and the life of empty endeavor
compassed In bringing Dp one and hav
ing a good time during the process,
this woman says: "My husband spends
more in one year than his father (with
six) spent in two. She adds:
He ta home-loving, hard-working, optimil
tlc. child-loving-. He is not ao exceptional
father. Among our acqualntancaa ara a
dozen younr married - people whose caaes
Imllar. We so to the theater about
rvery other month: we entertain a friend
dinner, and are entertained in return; w
take trolley ridea and so on top of the
'bua auch la the extent of our mad frlvot-
llv. The taxl-rldlna-. reataurant-rreouantlns.
butterfly wife undoubtedly exlsta: I have
met her; but aha la only tha froth on tho
deadly dullneaa or tne lira lea Dy me ma
jority or New loraere.
This Is apartment life: this is hotel
life; this is childless or practically
childless life in a great city. By con
trast with life half a century ago, how
frivolous! "Yet it is the demand of
American life to which thousands of
American men and women yield
borne along, with the current, aa It
were, and not knowing how to row
outside of It. "We hate these things,"
says this woman, "but we can't es
cape." We are too proud to ask for
pity, but please don't blame us. Don't
ask if our husbands are failures nor
censure us poor penny-pinching wives.
Why not ask: "Is America a failure?
Why not ask, further, is modern life
a failure and wonder if it will not.
when It reaches a certain point seem
ingly but a little way beyond recoil
upon Itself and begin to repeat the
history of the old-fashioned homer
BtTLMiiO AN ANTI-TRC8T BILL.
The Senate commerce committee has
progressed so far in drafting anti-trust
legislation as to decide in favor of the
principle embodied In both the Cum
mins bill and the Williams bill defin
ing what acts and practices are for
bidden to Interstate corporations, but
it has decided against the creation of
a commission to supervise and regulate
such a commission.
Both these bills contemplate that
corporations a. hall continue to engage In
Interstate commerce under state char
ters, provided -they observe certain
Federal Inhibitions against intercor
porate holdings. Interlocking directors
and officers, holding companies, Btock
watering, unfair competition. They
differ in their provisions for making
these inhibitions effective. The Cum
mins bill creates a trade commission
with power to investigate and. to begin
legal proceedings against offenders
already engaged in commerce, either
directly or through the Department of
Justice. The Williams bill requires
that the restrictions created by Fed
eral law shall be written In the char
ters which the corporations obtain
from the states and thus prevents
from even beginning to engage In
commerce such corporations as have
power under state law to violate the
proposed Federal law. This, bill cre
ates no supervisory commission, but
leaves its enforcement to the Depart
ment of Justice. That department
could secure Injunction to prevent any
corporation from engaging in com
merce under a charter which did not
contain the required restrictions or to
drive out of commerce any corpora
tion which, having a charter that con
formed with Federal law, violated
those restrictions. Robert R. Reed, of
New York, is the father of the bill,
which Williams has Introduced.
Both these bills recognize as true
the statement of B. H. Farrar, of New
Orleans, ex-presldent of the American
Bar Association, that the states can
dispose of the trusts by so amending
their corporation laws aa to refuse
charters to corporations having power
or purpose to restrain trade or become
monopolies. The states have the power
to do this, but Its exercise by forty
seven states would be useless so long
as the one remaining state continued
to grant "wide-open" charters. If
Congress excludes from commerce cor.
porations having "wide-open", char
ters there would be no excuse'for the
states to grant or for corporations to
seek such charters, except for purely
Intra-state business. . Whether the
states amend their Jaws or not would
then be immaterial
The great objection to Federal in- j
corporation has been that it would cut
off a large source of state revenue, to
obtain which New Jersey charters a
corporation to do practically anything
it pleases. To overcome this objection.
President Taft proposes that Federal
incorporation be permissive, not com
pulsory, and that Federal companies
be subject to reasonable taxation and
to control by the states with respect to
purely local business. An alternative
to Taft's plan has been proposed which
would more closely guard state rights.
It would give a Federal commission
power to license state corporations to
engage in interstate commerce. If the
opposition of the states should be so
powerful as to threaten defeat of a
Federal Incorporation law, even
though it be only permissive and state
revenues are fully protected, the li
cense system might prove a good sub
stitute, much as the corporations
might themselves prefer Federal
charters.
The argument for a. supervisory
commission such as the President rec
ommends remains as strong as ever.
The one valid cause of complaint is
that It often cannot
whether a trust Is
be known
legal or
illegal until the question has
been fought through the courts, a
process occupying several years. All
the objections could be met- by the
adoption of Williams' plan for em
bodying . the Federal inhibitions in
state charters with Cummins' defini
tion of those Inhibitions and with his
trade commission; by giving that com
mission power to issue licenses to such
state corporations as had the required
form of charter or to grant Federal
charters in the same form, at the op
tion of the corporation. Either the
Cummins or the Williams bill without
provision for a commission would
continue the present agonizingly slow
method of procedure through ' the
courts to determine a corporation's le
gal status. With a commission they
both have many merits, and the action
of the Senate committee in rejecting
that feature of the Cummins bill is to
be regretted. Commissioner of Cor
porations Smith, truly says In his an
nual report:
t'nder present conditions, aa well na In
whatever future courae may hereafter be
followed, a permanent administrative office
will be absolutely necessary. The vast
complexity of corporate buaineas and Ita
constantly changing conditions make It
wholly Impossible to enforce effectively any
real system of restraint through the courts
alone.
A FEW WORDS TO A "KNOCKER."
Among the thousands who seek
homes In Oregon, It Is Inevitable that
a certain proportion should fall, either
through bad Judgment In choosing a
location, neglect of business caution in
buying land or unwillingness to work
when they have bought it. The last
cause is the most frequent, for such
men on reading of the large crops
yielded by Oregon land, too frequently
imagine that such land can be bought
for a song and can be made to yield
with little or no work. When these
men awaken to the truth that in. Ore
gon as elsewhere, money cannot be
made without work, they become
"knockers" and write to the "folks
back home" warning against coming
to Oregon. One of these men is John
G.- Hanley, of 415 Hancock street,
Portland, who has written a mixture
of fact, and fiction to the Lafayette
(Ind.) Journal.
Hanley says that, as a result of an
influx of 20,000 Eastern people to
Portland last year, there were "more
than 10,000 moneyless, jobless men
with families In the city" last Winter.
He tells of the provision made by the
city to furnish work for the unem
ployed heads of families and then
says:
The single men were bunched together In
hundreds and marched acrosa the county line
by the police. This treatment waa accorded
them for no greater crime than being broke
in Portland and seeking honest work.
If there had been "10,000 money
less, jobless men with families" in
the city, the city would havo been
swamped with applications when it
offered them work. ,-A great clamor
for work arose and th w city and coun
ty offered work to all men of family
who were found deserving and in
need. The county gave work only to
men of family, but the city employed
many single men also. The total num.
ber of men thus employed by the city
was 2500 and by the county 300, a
total of 2800, which is a slight dis
count from Mr. Hanley's 10,000.
Much light was thrown on the facts
In regard to the unemployed when the
I. W. W. marched' to the city employ
ment office and demanded work. Of
fers of work for 150 to 200 men in
clearing land and like occupations in
the country around Portland were
submitted to these "moneyless, job
less" men and were rejected. These
men did not wish to go out onto the
farms or Into the woods and do real
work: they wished to be employed by
the city eight hours a day on Jobs
where they could "soldier." They
wished to work only enough days in
the week to. pay room-rent and buy
cheap meals In the city. They would
not go outside the city, where real
work is abundant.
The particular object of Mr. Han
ley's wrath Is the real estate men. He
says that, when he came to Oregon
30 months ago, "good land could be
purchased for from $100 to $125 an
acre." but that it nas oeen Dought up
by big speculators or land syndicates
and sells for $300 an acre and up."
He further says:
You can still buy land In Oregon for $12
to 123 an acre, but auch land la altuated re.
mot from any highway and ona will ba
compelled to cut hta way through a dense
forast to get to hla land. On account of
the ramoteneae from market his timber la
an incumbrance. He must need enough
money to carry him through at least two
yeara before any crops can ba grown, logged
off land nearer to civilisation costs irom --
to 170 an acre. It costs rrom w to ssu
an acre to clear stump itwi anywnera in
Oregon.
If Mr. Hanley had bought some of
that good land at $100 to $125 an acre
and worked on it for those 30 months
he could probably have made it
worth somewhere near $300 an acre
and sold it at that figure. If he had
been willing to do what the pioneers
of Oregon did, he would 'have gone
Into the dense forest, bought some of
that land at $12 to $25 an acre,
cleared and cultivated it and made a
home on it. He would soon have had
other settlers for neighbors, who
would have Joined him in widening
the trail Into a road, then in improv
ing the road until they gained easy
access to market and the value of
their land increased to the $100 or
$125 an acre which he would have
paid for the good land he mentions.
Or he might have bought logged-off
land in the immediate vicinity of
Portland, near the macadamized road,
at $30 to $60 an acre, cleared it by
charplttlng at $50 to $100 an acre
and thereby made It worth at least
250 an acre. '
But all these things require work
hard work. The present value of
Oregon land represents many years'
work, hardship and often privation.
The men who are now selling land at
J 100 to $125 an acre and often more
are reaping the reward of Industry
and patience. If Mr. Hanley will prac
tice the same virtues, ne win reap ms
reward. If he wishes to escape the
hard work and privation of clearing
land in the forest, he must buy an im
proved farm. He will then have to
pay for the hard work done by others,
just as he would In Indiana. .
If Mr. Hanley wishes to learn how
to succeed in Oregon he might apply
to another Mr. Haniey, familiarly
known as "Bill," who has acquired
a modest competence by beginning as
we have suggested. His Postofflce
address is Burns. Harney County. He
might give his discontented namesake
a few pointers on Jiow to begin.
Mr. Hanley pays his respects1 to the
Portland Commercial Club, which he
accuses of eating a tlOOO monthly
luncheon.- The club has no $1000
luncheon, no $500 luncheon nor any
other luncheon with the dollar-mark
on it.
He is also aggrieved because th
I club does not give one dollar nor an
i acre of ground to aid any factory com
ing to Portland. The charge is well
founded, for experience has proved
that factories which come to a town In
the guise of mendicants are not worth
having. The club aids manufacturers
who wish to hnv sltea In findinir them
I fit reasonable nrlces. and the wisdom
and success of its policy is proved by
the great industrial districts which
have grown up on the Peninsula an
in North Portland.
Mr. Hanley does not neglect to
place on the middleman a large share
of responsibility for the high cost
living. The Oregonlan has already ex
pressed the opinion that the middle
man would be a more useful member
of society if he went to the country
and became a producer. Mr. Hanley
also would be a more useful member
to society if he would cultivate th
soil .instead of writing "knocking"
letters full of misrepresentation and
exaggeration.
AN I NJI STiriABI.E ARRAIGNMENT.
If prayers are a comfort to the sur
vivors of the awful shipwreck that ha
carried mourning into hundreds of
homes and horror to the civilized
world, by all means let public prayers
be offered. It may be submitted, how
ever, that It Is an unjustifiable arraign
ment of. God. as a kind and loving
father, to assume that he ordered or
wantonly permitted the wreck of the
Titanic or in the stated words used
that, "in his wisdom he has seen flt to
visit these afflicted ones with trouble
and to bring distress upon them." Hu
man intellect scouts the idea that It
was in accordance with "his blessed
will that fatherly correction was
thus visited upon these stricken peo
pie, stopping not until over sixteen
hundred of them went to a shudder
ing death, while the rescue of a few
hundred under circumstances of un
told suffering was permitted.
Resignation is a beautiful thing if
It stops short of actual stolidity. It is
"hard to kick against the pricks.1
But when, to induce resignation, tho
reasoning mind is asked to believe
and truthful lips to acknowledge that
this great calamity was ordered by
God himself in a spirit of "fatherly
correction," and at the same time that
"he does not willingly afflict or grieve
the children of men," human intelli
gence which we are fain to believe is
itself from God, the great center,
source and sum of things staggers for
a moment at the irreverent assump
tion then rises up in revolt against it.
This is said with reverence not
irreverence. As expressed by Whit-
tier:
Nothing can be good in him
That evil la In me.
For anybody to" intimate that
disaster following the disregard of
vital elements of safety is in the na
ture of or comes as "Fatherly correc
tion" straight from God la, in the light
of human intelligence, absurd. More
than that, it Is Irreverent, or would be
but for the fact that It follows the
beaten path of assumption which has
grown into a custom, the age of which
commands respect and the shelter of
which appeals in the sense of easy If
undeflnable refuge to those beset. But
against the belief, the hope, whatever
it-may be, that God, the great source
of life and power, does not wantonly
afflict the children of men, the as
sumption that the loss of life by this
shipwreck and the terrible suffering
incident thereto were visited in his
wisdom is a mockery that reason will
be slow to make.
Obviously Mr. Evans would not have
been nominated for District Attorney
except for the withdrawal of Mr.
Carter and Mr. Davis. Fouts would
have been successful. The county
owes Messrs. Carter and Davis a real
debt, whiclOt , will doubtless pay in
gratitude or otherwise as may appear
seemly. What a contrast to the sense
less and perverse course of the mis
guided Shepherd.
George Hyland will not be State Sen.
a tor, but he will continue always to
be George Hyland, the public's friend.
Mr. Hyland made no campaign and
the vote he got was a real testimonial
of his fine position in the community.
Meanwhile Mr. Hyland will continue
to do his share, and more, in every
worthy cause for the general uplift.
Shepherd, too, got something out of
the fight. The Big Business that put
up for him accomplished Its main pur.
pose the defeat of Gantenbein and
the nomination of Lafferty. What a
wretched office Is that of puppet and
catspaw!
If Italy should ally herself with
Russia against Turkey, the triple al
liance would bo in danger of becom
ing onlv a dual alliance and the isola-
tion of Germany, would be appreciably
nearer. '
Dispatches from Oregon yesterday
doubtless caused a crafty resident of
Washington, D.' C, and Massachusetts
to regret ever having been Bourne.
It was only to be expected that a
great tragedy which developed scores
of self-sacrificing heroes should pro
duce at least one monumental coward.
Frank M. Warren's sacrifice of his
life that women might escape from
the Titanic is subject for mournful
pride to every Oregonlan.
It were worth while to die as
"Archie" Butt died if we could all win
such praises as are showered on him.
The people of Oregon being on trial
-"not I" rendered their own verdict.
Better be Captain Smith dead than
Ismay alive.
Scraps and Jingles
Leone Cass Baer.
I know a fat lady whose front name
is Evelena.
a a a
Definition of musical term, 'Tower
of sound in A Minor" Wails of tho
baby at 2 A. M.
v a a a
Man named William Spivens knocks
down a woman' named Mrs. William
Splvens. Curiously enough, she was
not his wife, and It is not known why
it was done.
a a a
Read Vhere a lecturer says If the
pioneers came back to earth they would
at sight of the modern automobiles
wish to go back to their graves. Well,
those same modern autos would oblige
and help them in their wishes.
"As sure as fete" an
In the society columns.
account of It
Oculist claims to cure alcoholism by
properly fitted glasses. Double vision,
as It were.
mm
Besides, I thought alcoholism w-as
brought on by glasses.
' a
Man gets a divorce from his wife be
cause she hit him in his eye with an
apple. Evidently she is not the ap
ple of his eye.
m m m
Woman in Paris has killed a man
for crushing her hat in an elevator. I
think murder Is a little too severe;
penal servitude should have been his
punishment.
"Should actresses wed?" wails a
magazine article. By all means, else
how can they get divorces.
. a
Remarkable confirmation of the say
ing "Boys will be boys" is contained
in the news that Portland's oldest
messenger Is 76 years of age.
Motto for collection
as you'd be dunned by."
agency; "Dun
I notice women keep screeching for
absolute equality of sexes and yet not
one of 'em has suggested means for
raising men to our standard.
Clara writes to ask what will keen
the gnats from bothering her. Try
bathing the face twice daily with liquid
glue, Clara.
a
Politician t'other evening protesting
against selling a certain piece of pub
lic ground, reminded his hearers that
"donkeys once, grazed there," and went
on to beg them to attempt to recover
the rights they had lost.
a a
Sign at local moving-picture house
says, "We positively prohibit whistling
or cheering with the feet."
m m m
Portland Mrs. Malaprop thinks that
railroads must be quite ancient as she
has Just been reading about the great
Norman line immediately after the
Conquest.
a a a '
Here's three about ministers. Local
preacher has been talking so convinc
ingly on the reasons for empty pews
that a great number of heretofore reg
ular attendants are now seen to be
wavering.
a a a
Just before the election a lot ol
ministers were preaching what they
called Early Closing Sermons. It should
be -kept right up. All sermons are too
long, anyway.
a a
See where minister i-vites women
to come without hats to church so they
can worship In comfort. Without her
newest lid? It can't be done.
a
Plaint of Kleanor. Aged One.
Life at best is cruel and hard,
All my Joys have turned to gall.
No one cares one thing for me.
All they speak of is baseball.
Father's voice is hoarse from yelling,
Mother's hands are tired and sore.
For the baseball season's with us
Which my parents both adore.
I remember all my little life.
Ah, how the cruel mem'ry mocks.
When papa read aloud to ma,
While she sat and darned his socks
But now I am an orphaned babe,
I never see them any more.
Dad and ma spend all their days
In talking of the baseball ecore.
But I'll try and bear my sorrow.
And keep down my thoughts so sad;
I'll not talk of old-time mother,
Or regret old-fashioned dad.
But I'll never know what peace is.
Till we land on Canaan's shore.
Where the fathers cease from "fanning"
And the mothers "root" no more,
a m .
Miss Calamity Step-and-Fetch-It, the
clever and cultured, etc., lady poet
from Kansas, writes that she .is writ
ing a rival play to Faversham's "The
World and His Wife." She says she
calls her'n "The Hub of the Universe."
Nitts on Judge Bourne
By Dean Collins.
Nesclus Nitts, sage of Punkindorf Sta
tion.
Looked up from his paper with loud
cachlnnation.
Adorned the plank walk with an ample
libation
Of nicotine paint; then he made specu
lation
Upon him who wanted renewed nomina
tion.
I see by the paper, the latest report
Ain't glvln' Bourne much; tnougn ne
brung us to court
And iows that the people's on trial and
sits
A fervid indictment drawed up 'gainst
our wits;
But if them reports has it right all his
wishln'
Don't-'pear to be gettln' J. Bourne trie
decision.
You all are
on trial, sezee
fore
election.
And cites from Bourne's code-
sech a
Dase; sech a section
Ho sets as the Jury; he sets as attor
ney;
He sets as the jedge, and he tells us;
1 11 learn ye
The way how to vote. But when all is
rehearsed.
It 'pears like the jedge jest got sorter
reversed.
Of course, sence he's Jedge and the
Jury and all.
It's hard now to Agger out what may
befall;
'm fldgitin' "round like a bat In a
steede.
To see what Jedge Bourne's goin' to do
to us Deoole.
Who knows, when he gits the election
reDOrt.
He may line the bunch fer contempt of
the court?
Tortland, April 20.
Cf