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WBTLA.VD, BUNT) AT. JTJIS'K 89, 191.
TUB COXCEXTKATION AT GETTYSBURG.
Indecision threatened to paralyze
the Federal arm -when it was finally
learned that Lee had crossed the Po
tomac and was moving upon Pennsyl
vania. Evidently the capital was In
danger and the timorous Halleck made
Its defense his foremost object. Hook
er, who still commanded the Army of
the Potomac, wished to strike Lee's
array In the rear, but he was with
held. Lincoln advised an attack some
where about the middle of Lee's long
extended line of march, but this coun
sel was also neglected. At length It
was resolved to act strictly upon the
defensive. Hooker was permitted to
cross the Potomac, but he was enjoined
to do nothing except watch Lee's
movements and keep between him and
Washington. The truth of the matter
was that the authorities had no con
fidence in Hooker since his fiasco at
Chancellorsville. His later move
ments had restored the respect of his
men but not of his superiors and it
bad secretly been decided to supersede
him before an engagement came on.
This plan was made, all the more
agreeable to Halleck by Hooker's re
peated requests to evacuate Harper's
Ferry. He said the troops-there were
useless and- no doubt they were, but
Halleck resented his Importunity and
kept them shut up In the fortress,
perhaps as much to spite his subordin
ate as for any other reason.
Hooker began crossing the Potomac
at Edward's Ferry, some thirty" miles
northwest of Washington, on June 26.
By the 26th his entire force iwas on
the Maryland side and he then moved
northward to Frederick. Here on June
2 7 he received word that he had been
superseded by Meade, who was him
self notified of his appointment on the
afternoon of the next day, which was
Sunday. Meade's first act was to es
tablish a defensive line along Pipe
Creek between Mlddleburg and Man
chester. From this advantageous situa
tion he would have been able to take
Lee in the flank had fortune led the
Confederates to msve either upon
Washington or Baltimore. Meade's
conduct from this time to the last
day at Gettysburg was marked by calm
and Judicial wisdom. On June 2C,
when Hooker began crossing- the Po
tomac, Lee was already at Chambers
burg, Pennsylvania, where he had set
up his temporary headquarters. His
two able subordinates, Hlil and Long
street, with their troops were Just en
tering Maryland from the Shenandoah
Valley on the northward march. His
tried and victorious cavalry was In
three divisions. Imboden iwas at Mc
Connellsburg to guard the rear, while
two divisions had been sent out east
ward to clear the way to the Susque
hanna. Ewell had gone to the north
and was now at Carlisle, threatening
Harrisburg. The invincible Early was
moving almost directly east from
Chambersburg toward York, which he
soon seized.
It was through one of his cavalry
commanders that Lee suffered an ex
perience of those mistakes and bad
calculations which so often attend a
great offensive movement. As long as he
-was acting on the defensive In Vir
ginia everything turned out exactly as
he had planned. His subordinates
obeyed their orders precisely and his
army was plast.c to his will. But now
he had taken the aggressive and it
was necessary that his generals,
marching through a strange territory,
should exercise some initiative of their
own. This naturally caused divided
counsels. The famous cavalry com
mander, J. E. B. Stuart, had been or
dered to cross the Potomac wherever
he could and march north-ward, guard
ing Lee's right wing. He crossed at
Rotifer's Ford, fifteen miles west of
Washington, and from that moment
until the afternoon of July 1 he was
ont of touch with the rest of of the
Confederate army. He fell in with
Kllpatrick's Union cavalry at Hanover
on June 30 and fought indecisively. He
then continued northward and reached
Carlisle on the afternoon of July 1, too
late to be of service in the first day's
fighting. Lee had depended on Stuart
to keep him Informed of Hooker's
movements. . The consequence of
Stuart's aimless wanderings was that
he knew nothing of the Federal ad
vance until the night of June 28. Late
on that night a Confederate soout
named Harrison entered his camp at
Chambersburg and told him that the
enemy was at Frederick with. Meade
for a commander In place of Hooker.
Lee was eager to meet and crush the
Union Army, which he had learned
thoroughly to despise. He and his
men made the mistake of Judging the
quality of the Federal troops by the
Incompetents wbo had led them. No
better corps commander ever entered a
campaign than Hooker had under him
at Chancellorsville and no braver sol
diers ever died than those whose lives
were wasted in that wicked slaughter.
Not knowing this Lee expected anoth
er easy victory, but for all that he
chose his position at Cashtown, a little
west of Gettysburg, with admirable
discretion. The rear was guarded by
mountains, while In the faint contin
gency of defeat he had an open road
through to Chambersburg and thence
southward. As soon as he learned of
Meade's whereabouts orders went out
to his scattered divisions to concen
trate at Cashtown and by June 30
Ewell, Early and Imboden were ad
vancing upon tha point. Hill and
Longstreet were already there. Meade
was now also moving toward Gettys
burg which, since It lay at the head
of the Monocacy Valley, was a natural
center of military movements. On
the night of June 30 his headquarters
were at Taneytown and Oeneral Reyn
olds, in command of his left wing,
lay only six miles from Gettysburg.
His right wing iwas guarded by Gregg's
cavalry. Kllpatrick was scouting? in
advance where, as we have seen, he
fell in with Stuart on June 30. Buford
was assigned to cover the left. His
route lay from Middletown through
Hagerstown to a point about eight
miles south of Lee's main body at
Cashtown. Here Buford camped on
the night of June 29. The next morn
ing he moved on toward Gettysburg,
avoiding Lee's outposts, and joined
forces with Reynolds, who had orders
to occupy that place. Buford there
fore advanced toward Gettysburg by
the Emmltsburg road and reached the
village early In the afternoon of June
30, Just in time to encounter Pettl
grew's North. Carolina brigade which
was scouting for shoes. Lee's soldiers
being barefoot in -many instances. The
Confederates retired toward Cash
town -without showing fight and Bu
ford was left in possession of the town.
All iwas now quiet until the morning
of July 1.
TAINTED OPrSIONS.
"Practically everybody In the state,"
says the Portland Journal, "has con
cluded that the West honor) system
Is good. The late Legislature so de
cided. ... A legislative investi
gating committee, after a searching In
vestigation, so decided." Here is news
that will surprise everyone interested
in Governor West's extraordinary sys
tem of turning loose upon the public
convicts who happen to enjoy the ex
ecutive favor. Yet It need hardly sur
prise any one who knows about the
service rendered to the Governor by
the Portland newspaper in seeking to
interpret all the Governor's whimsical
and boyish, acts in the light of sound
and sane action and his most foolish
policies as the product of a profound
and experienced statesmanship.
Tire Oregonian is able to find no rec
ord of indorsement by the recent Leg
islature of the honor system. A legis
lative committee Investigated the state
penitentiary and was unable to agree
In Its recommendations. The major
ity Senators Ragsdale and Hollis and
Representative Laughlin approved
the penitentiary management, and
commended the parole system; but
from beginning to end of its report
there is not a word about the honor
system. The minority was opposed
to the whole business, we believe.
The minority report reached the
Legislature before the majority report,
was read and filed, and the fact that
It made no mention of the honor sys
tem Was the svibject of comment. With
this public notice that the subject was
in the mind of the legislators the ma
jority report, also silent as to the hon
or system, was submitted nine days
later.
The parole system, it should be ex
plained, is one thing; the so-called
"honor" system the special creation
of a Governor passionately determined
to use his great power to the limit
is quite another. The distinction was
made clear, recently by the Governor
himself, in a public statement.
This legislative report is printed in
full in the Portland Daily Journal,
Saturday, February 22, 1913, follow
ing a series of tainted news dispatches
from Salem designed to show that the
committee would report in favor of
the honor system. The committee did
nothing ef the kind; yet the Journal is
not at all discouraged, nor deterred
from saying that It did.
The whole matter Is Important only
in so far as it has been unscrupulously
used to misrepresent the attitude of
the State Legislature about the "hon
or" system of Governor West.
KHLATIQXS I" THE GREAT POWERS.
Those who are inclined to Join Sec
retary Bryan inr chasing the rainbow
ef universal peace founded on inter
national arbitration should study
carefully "Problems of Power," by
William Morton Fullerton. This au
thor, through long residence in Paris
as correspondent of the London
Times, has become intimately ac
quainted with the mutual relations of
the great powers of the world. He
discusses all the circumstances bear
ing on those relations with a clear
comprehension of the moving forces.
He knows too well the rivalries, jeal
ousies, aspirations and ideals of the
great powers- to harbor the delusions
of these who hope that in their own
lifetime there shall be no more war.
Yet he is no jingo. His judgment is
based on what he knows to be the
fadts and he refuses to allow yearning
for peace to warp that Judgment.
Mr. Fullerton traces back to Bis
marck the causes leading to the pres
ent grouping- of European powers. He
condemns the annexation of Alsace
and Lorraine as a fatal blunder from
the German standpoint, which, brought
France and Russia into- alliance after
the German-Austrian alliance was
formed in 1879, to -be joined three years
later try Italy. Russia Intended the
alliance to be defensive only, but
France, still suffering from the
wounds Inflicted in 1870, looked to
her ally to aid her in securing re
venge. Her eyes were opened by the
Czar's proposal of the first Hague
peace conference. Germany pursued
her ambition to be the dominant
power of Europe by instigating
France to engage in colonial adven
tures which would bring that power
into collision with England and
Italy. The Kaiser is accused of en
couraging the Czar in his Manchurian
adventure and of taking advantage of
this preoccupation to become the prac
tical protector of Turkey, while her
Austrian ally gained preponderant in
fluence in the Balkan states.
But German recognition that her
future was on the sea, the building of
the German navy and the expansion
of German foreign trade brought that
nation into rivalry with England, and
Dfflcasse as early as 1898 began
working towards the Anglo-French
understanding toy settling then-existing
disputes. The Boer war and the
Kaiser's telegram to Kruger opened
England's eyes to the perils of a pol
icy of Isolation. Both France and
England recognized that Germany en
Joyed the prospect of a fight between
them. They decided not. to fight and
in 1904 became allies.
Germany was stunned by this, con
sequence of her policy and clumsily
schemed to pry apart the newly
bound friends, but each move caused
them to cling closer together. The
disastrous culmination of Russia's
Manchurian adventure and the reve
lation ef her military weakness caused
France to rely more on England; the
growing hostility of Germany and the
upbuilding of the German navy in
creased British reliance on French
aid. Each labored to enhance the
power and influence of the other.
The climax of this situation was
the sending of a German gunboat to
Agadir in 1911. Germany and France
had 'been haggling for a year and a
half over the carrying out of the Al
geciras agreement, Germany's aim be
ing to break up the Anglo-French
agreement. Failing In this, says Mr.
Fullerton, "she revived her other more
familiar policy, the policy of intimi
dation." She chose a time when each
of her foes was absorbed In internal
troubles and when she believed Great
Britain was "incurably pacific." But
both allies immediately showed their
claws. British statesmen gave the
world clearly to understand that they
would stand shoulder to shoulder iwlth
France, and the Agadir Incident ended
In the most stinging rebuff to Ger
many. Europe is thus divided into two
camps, each aiming to prevent the
other from gaining preponderance.
But there are evidences of increasing
friendship between individual mem
bers of opposite groups and of fric
tion between members of the same
group. Italy's growth as a naval
power in the Mediterranean is not un
welcome to England and France, but
her Trlpolitan war has created tension
with Austria. The latter nation and
Italy have gained most by the triple
alliance, Germany nothing. The set
tlement growing out of the Balkan
war has brought England more into
harmony with Austria and Germany
through her having supported the de
mand for an autonomous Albania.
Germany and England have come to
gether on the construction of the Bag
dad railway and its extension to tho
Persian Gulf under Joint ownership
of British and German capital. This
strengthening of German influence in
Asia Minor, where Russia hopes for
aggrandizement, can hardly be pleas
ing to the latter empire. Thus the
two groups are each bound together
for certain purposes, but their mem
bers are each pursuing other and con
flicting purposes. These may in time
work out a new grouping.
PEOPLE'S CONTRACT. IS SACRED.
There is more or less analogy be
tween the attempt to deprive water
front owners of their title to sub
merged lands fronting their property
and the effort of a small element to
abrogate the East Side franchises of
the Harriman railroads. Tears ago the
state gave away or as some contend,
merely failed to take to itself river
lands that have since become 1
ly valuable. The city granted some years
ago to tne railroads rights on streets,
and these rights naturally Increased
in value in proportion to the growth
of the city in population and as a mar
ket and distributive center.
It was proposed that the private
rights and titles on the -water front
built up on faith in the state's fair
dealing should be destroyed by the
courts. It was proposed in the other"
case that the people destroy what had
become an asset to the railroads In Is
suance of bonds and what in large
measure had induced them to expend
many. thousands of dollars in the city.
The chief motive for each was the ac
quirement of an advantage fer the
public, regardless of its effect on pri
vate property.
It is of recent history that the peo
ple of Portland are not disposed for
mere pecuniary advantage to welch
on their contracts. The voters believe
in fair play. If their servants in office
have shown lack of foresight in other
years, the people are not disposed to
retrieve that error now if by so doing
the integrity of the city and private
interests thereon erected should fall.
The vote against repeal of the railroad
franchises, although profitable exac
tions from the railroads were possible
by abrogating the railroad privileges,
was emphatio and decisive.
We fancy that the public looks upon
the decision, of the Supreme Court in
the waterfront case in the same light-.
The people as a whole are honest at
heart. They believe in upholding con
tracts, specific or Implied, regardless of
what they can gain by repudiating
them. It would be a very nice thing
for the city if it could now get back
what the state permitted river-bank
owners to take when waterfront was
a burden to him who had to pay taxes
on it. And taxes were paid on it. The
definite character of the grant to shore
owners- was recognized for years by
public officials collecting revenue
therefrom. It would, indeed, Se profit
able, we say, to keep the tax money
and take back the land on which it
was paid. But we doubt that the peo
ple would do it were it possible to re
call the court's decision and submit
the ruling to popular vote.
TWO WAYS OF DOING IT.
If America gave immediate inde
pendence for the Philippines what sort
of self-government would the Moros
establish? If the islands were under a
central government, what probability
is there that these savages would be
brought into submission and compelled
to respect the rights of those white
men whom they religiously, hate?
The test of ability to maintain Inde
pendence Is ability to maintain order.
Without internal peace, some foreign
nation would continually find a pre
text for aggression in wrong done one
of its citizens. If we guard the is
lands against aggression by assuming
a protectorate, we make ourselves re
sponsible for Internal order, but if
we grant independence we deprive
ourselves of the power to preserve or
der. But we are the more likely to be
called upon to intervene when we lack
this power. Cuba is far more advanced
In civilization and orderly government
than would be the Philippines, if in
dependent, yet we have already found
intervention necessary in that island.
How much of tener should we be com
pelled to intervene in an archipelago
of several tribes, languages and relig
ions and at various stages of progress
between the wild Igorrotes and the
cultured Tagalogs? .
The Taft policy in the Philippines
is working towards independence by.
fitting the people to enjoy it. By d
ucatlng the people, developing the
country, facilitating intercourse, giv
ing them a common language and
ideals and giving them from time to
time a larger measure of control over
their own affairs, that policy is train
ing up the Filipinos for independent
nationhood as a father trains up his
son for Independent manhood- When
this training is complete, a protecto
rate will be unnecessary for the young
nation will be able to stand on its
own feet, responsible to the world for
order within its own territory. It will
need no outside safeguards other than
such a. guaranty of neutrality as Eu
rope has given Belgium.
The question is not iwhether the
Philippines shall become independent.
We are all agreed on that. It is
whether they shall toe hurried Into In
dependence before they are capable
of self-government. Republican pol
icy would wait until they have completed-
at least the grammar-school
course; Democratic policy would turn
them out into the world of nations
when they have just entered the sec
ond errade.
A gleam of common sense has en
tered the intellect of the New York
Court of Appeals. It has upheld a law
which requires any person who has
reason to believe he has injured person
or property by the operation of ; an
automobile to stop and give his name
and address. Not to do so is made a
felony. The lower court sustained a
demurrer on the ground that this law
Infringed on a person's constitutional
right to refuse to testify against him
self, but the appeal court held that
an automobile owner may be required
to waive his constitutional privilege as
"a condition of operating such a machine."
UVDEXT 1IOPF.FTJL.
PORTLAND, June 26. (To the Editor.)
Tou are getting quite sane when you come
out and say that the land shark has been
handing "gold bricks-' to men that wanted
homes. No, you cannot kill oft the land
speculator by calling him a. "land shark"
or a "gold brick artist." That sounds good
and shows that you have thought some
thoughts, but you have a think or two a
coming, and may your lucid moments con
tinue until you see the light in all Its
beauty.
I have been trying to convince The Ore
gonian for lo. these many years, that the
land speculator was the worst enemy the
children of men have to fight, and now
you have come out and asked the- bankers
"to dog his footsteps and foil hla every sin
ister move," and that leads me to hope that
you may come out and ask that the tax law
be changed so it will favor him who works,
and discourage the land speculator, who
shirks.
It always looks good to see a light in a
dark place, and I have heard that there is
much rejoicing In heaven over the .return
of one sinner, and it makes me optimistic
to see The Oregonian come out and com
mend a U'Ren measure In one issue and
then take up its hammer in the next issue
and go to knocking the land speculator like
a good Christian slrould.
H. r. .WAGNON.
We had expected, now that the sea
son for office seeking is closed, that
Brother Wagnon would have time
again to aeroplane to flights of fancy.
We can only point eut to our befuddled
friend that when one recognizes the
existence of an undesirable condition,
it does not follow that one indorses
any or every fantastic theory as to how
that condition may be changed.
Tho Oregonian believes that when It
expresses regret concerning high realty
values most of its readers are too In
telligent to infer that it is about to
tread in the footsteps of Henry George,
Joseph Fels et aL
If all its readers were like Mr. Wag
non It iwould be unsafe, incidentally, to
mention the ravages of consumption,
for fear the Impression would gain
ground that All sufferers were thereby
recommended to try Indian cantations
or turtle serum, or whatever "cure"
happened to be most vociferously ad
vertised at that precise moment.
THE POETRY OF THE FUTCRE.
Edmund Gosse, the well-known
critic, is in despair for the future of
poetry. Others have been In the same
mood ever since poetry began to be
written. There have always been Jere
miahs who lamented that all words
had been worn to rags, all the fine
thoughts expressed, all the beautiful
emotions exploited until they were
nauseous. But life has usually-proved
itself more potent than pessimism and
each gasp of despair over poetry and
the other arts has been followed by
an outburst of new and unexpected
genius. Mr. Gosse is a little more me
thodical in his madness than some of
his predecessors, but that is the only
way he differs from them. People
read so much, he says, that "the possi
bilities of freshness grow rarer and
rarer. The obvious, "simple, poignant
things seem all to have been said."
The critic permits himself this de
spondent swoop of fancy because he
knows little or nothing of the world he
lives in- It is perfectly true that all
the simple and poignant things have
been said about swords Major-Generals
and nightingales. It would take
a dozerr Shakespeares boiled down into
one to say anything fresh about vio
lets, the moon or Angelina's eyes. So
much must be admitted.
But it is not by any means true that
all the simple and poignant things
have been said about the motorcycle,
the flying machine and the player
piano. Nobody has written any odes
to the farm motor or sung any hymns
to the moving pictures. We are aware
that all our songsters will shudder at
the thought of these horrible contriv
ances, but. they will constitute the ma
terial of the poetry of the future. The
poets of olden time dealt with the ob
jects which made up their world, fear
ing none and hating none. They sung
of iwar steeds and resounding trumpets
because these things were the major
factors in deciding the fate of their
contemporaries. But neither trumpets
nor steeds decide the fate of the mod
ern world. It depends on steam, elec
tricity and the expansive power of
gasoline. When a poet is born who
has eyes to see the power and beauty
of these factors in our civilization, we
shall have poetry as great and vital as
there ever was. Milton was wrong in
thinking that a poet could be "born
an age too late." There are no late
ages. Every one is early. It is al
ways morning in the eternities. The
fault is not with the age, but with the
vision of the poet. Having eyes, he
sees not. Having ears, he hears not.
But wait a little and somebody will
appear who has both eyes and ears
and then the Muses wfll pipe up.
The weak and flaccid stuff which
passes for poetry with us has ho vigor
because of our false standards. While
we live in an age of science and me
chanics, our literature still clings to
the gods, fables and concepts of classi
cism. Stephen Phillips, for instance,
who has a real gift of expression,
wastes it on the outworn themes of
olden story. The poor man can find
nothing worth singing about in his own
magnificent age. He has to go back
and poke around in the puddles of clas
sical and medieval lore. How could
he expect anybody to read him except
wan pedants who suffered with the
same disease as himself? It Is a nota
ble fact that of the thirteen most pop
ular novelists of last year six women
and five men never went to college.
Their minds remained in touch with
their generation because they had not
been sterilized and isolated by the clas
sical Infection.
Edmund Gosse continues his wail by
saying that the poet of the future
must be isolated. He will take refuge
in "symbolic subtlety." He will "wrap
the truh in darkness." "The closing
up of the poetic field will isolate the
poet from his felhyws." Poets will
"band themselves together" Into a sort
of monastic guild for "mutual protec
tion" against the rude world. This is
far from the mark. Poets will do
nothing of the sort. As soon as the
genuine impulse to sing arises they will
hie them out into the storm and stress
of life. They will learn all about
steam, electricity and gasoline. They
will pen odes to the automobile and
paeans to the talking machine. The
wireless telegraph will excite their
awe and . wonder as grandly as Zeus
and Prometheus did the Greeks. Elec
tricity does greater marvels than Zeus
ever dreamed of, and no Greek myth
begins to emulate the splendid tri
umphs cf the flying machine. Our
poets are blind and deaf. They shrink
from their world with a feeble shudder
which iwould have made Homer burst
with scorn. The "sissyish" education
we give our youths accounts in great
part for their inability to sing. We
feed their minds on delicate tidbits cut
from dead literatures and expect this
nutriment to vitalize their genius. It
never will.
When great poetry is written by
geniuses there are always "vulgar"
song3 going about among the people.
The highest art Is uniformly rooted in
popular feeling and the people's long
ing for self-expression. Our painting
and music are as feebly pedantic as
our poetry because neither of them
ever touches the earth. They try to
keep up their strength by nibbling at
dead men's bones when what they
really need is living flesh and blood.
When Leonardo and Titian were
painting there was an artisan in every
shop who loved his work as much as
they loved theirs. The genius which
could fresco the Sistine Chapel grew
out of the humble devotion that
carved chair legs and molded doorways
In peasants cottages. Our art Is thin
and valetudinarian because it is starv
ing. Feed it on the diet of life and
it will grow robust. But we must
stop spoiling our young poets' diges
tions with food from the tombs be
fore we ought to expect inspired song
from them.
AXOTHER ART TREASURE.
We have no artist who can paint
like Rembrandt, but we have what Is
a good deal better, millionaires who
can outbid every competitor when his
pictures are put up at auction. As long
as we can buy Rembrandts and Ra
phaels, why under the shining sun
should we take the trouble to paint
them ourselves, even if we could do
it? The famous Oriental potentate
who employed a robust soldier to be
come the father of his children is a
case in point. The perfection of opu
lent ease is to purchase everything and
do nothing whatever for oneself. The
occasion of these sage reflections is
the recent capture at a Paris auction
of a Rembrandt and a Romney, at
London, toy a pair of our art-loving
financial magnates. "The most re
markable thing about the Rembrandt,"
we are told in the report of the affair,
'Is that It was never before supposed
to be worth more than $1500." But
now its price has leaped to $200,000
while the Romney brought a little
more. So we must conclude that Rom
ney was a greater painter than Rem
brandt. It is added in the account,
perhaps satirically, that the importa
tion of these old pictures and the
prices paid for them, especially the
prices, show that "American art is in
a flourishing condition."
The unlearned might naturally sup,
pose that American art would be flour
ishing when American painters could
obtain prices like $200,000 for their
own pictures, but that is a grave error,
Art flourishes when dead painters are
buried in gold and living painters
starve in garrets. But in spite of
these indisputable truths we venture to
believe that the price of this Rem
brandt is not "the most remarkable
thing" about it. In our modest opin
ion it is far more remarkable for the
genius of the man who painted it and
the story it Illustrates than for the
money it brought at auction. The sub
ject is the capture of Uriah's wife,
Bathsheba, by King David. The amor
ous monarch treacherously "set Uriah
in the forefront of the hottest battle"
and ordered everybody to "retire from
him so that he may be smitten and
die." When this was accomplished
David "sent and brought the woman
to his house and she became his wife
and bare him a son," no less a son
than Solomon, in fact. David first
saw Bathsheba when she "was wash
ing herself" and the Rembrandt com
memorates that interesting occasion.
BATTLE ON CURRENCY BUX.
In the newspapers the battle is al
ready joined on the currency bill. Even
such staunch supporters of President
Wilson as the New York World oppose
control of -the whole banking system
by a board of seven Presidential ap
pointees, only one of whom is re
quired to be a practical banker. Some
newspapers suggest that National
banks will surrender their charters
and reincorporate under state law
rather than Fubmit to the dictation of
a political National board, especially as
the law would require them to place a
large proportion of their capital in the
power of a regional reserve bank
board, one-third of whose members
are Federal appointees and another
third removable toy the Government.
The World urges Congress to find a
middle ground between the Monetary
Commission plan, which "made the
Government merely a minority partner
in the exercise of a sovereign func
tion," and the new measure, which
goes to the other extreme of practical
ly excluding bankers. The provisions
for strict Federal control are generally
attributed to the influence of Secretary
Bryan and his desire to curb the
money power. Recalling that Secre
tary McAdoo has berated the money
barons, the Brooklyn Eagle says: "No
where else in the world are there such
money barons as will thus be called
into being." It reminds us that, while
the members of the Federal Reserve
Board are to be paid $10,000 a year
each, $50,000 is no unusual salary for
a bank president.
Level-headed business men not di
rectly engaged in banking will proba
bly agree that the currency bill goes
too far in the direction of Government
control. The power which it is pro
posed to vest in the Federal Reserve
Board is tremendous. Power to fix
discount rates is really power to fix In
terest rates throughout the country.
Power to require one reserve bank to
transfer funds to another places the
banks' resources. at the disposal of the
Government. Though the bill alms to
discourage stock speculation. New
York might be required to transfer
funds to New Orleans for cotton spec
ulation, or to Chicago for grain spec
ulation. By issue or recall of Treas
ury notes, this board could inflate or
restrict the currency.
This appears to be too great a power
to vest in the hands of seven men,
only one of whom is a practical
banker. When it is proposed to hand
over the daily management of each
reserve bank to nine men, only three
of whom are chosen by the men whose
capital they handle, banks are asked to
surrender the direotion of a large pro
portion of their own business to out
siders. A large measure of Federal control
Is undoubtedly necessary in order to
end and to prevent renewal of the
evils attendant upon the concentration
of financial power. But it may well be
limited to the Federal Reserve Board
and the majority of members of that
board should be men of the best bank
ing experience. Surely the reserve
banks, which would directly handle
the funds of stockholding banks,
should have control of their own af
fairs, subject to the general provisions
of the law, and perhaps with one di
rector named by the Government on
each board. A committee of one rep
resentative of each reserve bank might
be trusted to fix the discount rate, sub
ject to armrova.1 hv thA T.-rl ora 1 T? a
serve Board, and to arrange transfer of
funds from one reserve board to an
other under the same restriction.
It is to be hoped that the banks will
not bv unreasoning onnnsHttnn iiiiri
the back of Congress and provoke it
to insist on features of the bill which,
through friendly co-operation, might
be eliminated. If they should, they
would risk sacrifice of the many excel
lent features which would prove bene
ficial to them and might precipitate a
situation parallel to that of tho rail
roads, which is responsible for the
present depreciation of railroad credit.
The bill is far from perfect, but it is
so infinitely superior to the present law
that the banks should concede some
points to those whom they have given
only too good cause to distrust them,
while the Democracy should recognize
the banks' right to control of their own
capital under proper safeguards.
Secretary of Agriculture Houston
has made a good beginning at putting
life Into the pure-food law by apply
ing it to meat, as was its obvious in
tent. Now let him restore authority
to the crippled bureau of chemistry
and take It away from the solicitor of
his department, who has usurped
power to decide whether adulterators
shall be prosecuted. Let him depose
the illegal Remsen referee board and
root out the experts who have nullified
the law. He has had ample time to do
all these things, but he has kept the
department much' as Secretary Wilson
left it. Assurance that the food we
now consume Is pure Is as necessary
as increased production of food. Mr.
Houston has had nearly four months
to do these things, but has done none
of them.
How far our laws fall to accomplish
the ends of their snonsnm ami nom
plish other ends which were never
dreamed of is illustrated by the Su
preme Court decision on the civil
rights of negroes. The Federal civil
rights law was designed to secure
social equality to negroes under the
Fourteenth Amendment, but the court
has swept it away. That amendment,
on the contrary, has been the refuge
to .which corporations have flown from
laws which they alleged to be confisca
tory. It did not secure equality to the
negro, but it gave corporations un
designed protection.
By manning our diplomatic service
with writers, President Wilson may be
sowing the seed for a new crop of
novels with local coloring drawn from
the world's capitals. Had Mr. Nichol
son accepted the mission to Lisbon,
we might have had a story of life un
der the Portuguese republic with roy
alist plotters flitting through its pages.
The New York Evening Post demurs
to the charge of the World that Colo
nel Roosevelt is a boss. It calls him
"the most perfectly functioning barom
eter of public sentiment we have."
That Is a beautiful title to add to the
many the Colonel wears, but he did
not function perfectly in 1912 or he
would now be where Mr. Wilson is.
Attorney-General Reynolds knows a
ereat deal of law. Perhaps he has
devoted himself so assiduously to that
abstruse science that h
time to spend upon the comparatively
simple study Of 1ustic. .Tiietio lc D
extremely simple that it often repels
me oeepiy scientific legal intellect.
An Oregon City laborer having un
earthed a store of gold on property be
longing to another, no doubt we soon
shall be favored with that ancient con
troversy as to who should get the
Naval officers. after a.
test, have had their gold braid restored
uy secretary uanlels. It was as cruel
to take that braid away as to deprive
a. uauy oi Its milK.
Another aviator is preparing for a
flight across the Ocean Pratloolltt
his only hope of survival lies in the
cnance tnat he will change his mind
about starting.
An additional jvxemntlnn rr esnn
tne income tax may be allowed for
ccu cnna. un tnat status many of
no tumu quote our income as a minus
quantity.
The Mavor nf VonoAm.. tt-
having given free reign to .fireworks
.u. uistracsers, it mignt be well for
the hospitals to arrange a few extra
cots.
The proposed currency measure pro
vides $10,000 horth. fnr.
faithful, still. Our Will has a job, so
mat ynaae ui it opes not interest us.
The bottom has dropped out of the
berry - market. We opine, however
that the bottom of the berry box is
still on the same high perch.
The Democrats will put sewing
w.ica-u o me iree list. Gracious! But
won't that put an awful crimp in the
high cost of living?
Anyway the weather gives us a
chance to save up a few more dollars
for vacation time.
While the hot wmva I oiaimnn. i
Are da throughout the East with lt3 fiery
mo.si, wooiens are still comfortable in
favored Portland.
President Huerta has announced an
extra session of Congress. As though
poor old Mexico . hadn't suffered
enough.
The President's eldest daughter
trims her own hats. Probably got tired
of being trimmed on her hats. .
Seventeen nations having adopted
the Bryan, peace plan, war may be ex
pected at any hour.
Now we know why the sun has been
neglecting us. It's fully occupied In
the East.
Excitin&r davs &rn nhnml -n -
lona. They have Introduced A m .,-i,n
baseball.
The "spues." of course, win u.
their vacation on a walking trip.
No doubt the ReaDer Is whptMno-
his scythe for the Fourth.
Huerta appears to be annrn.v,u
the overthrow stage.
The Mikado i3 now about. And v
had eight doctors!
Had a regular picnic!
Scraps and Jingles
By Leose Caaa Baer.
It has been scientifically proved that
Father Noah was. among other things,
an electrician. He made the arc light
on Mount Ararat, it seems.
e
The money borrower who says ha
will be everlastingly Indebted for the
loan usually keeps his word.
Many a man who boasts that his aim
Is always to be honest is a notoriously
bad marksman.
see
Anna Belle writes to ask if it la
proper to refer to one' gentl'man fran"
as a certain party. I do not think so.
Anna Belle. None of them are certain -
not even when they're tagged.)
see
"I couldn't live without you,"
, Th8 Marquis cried In tears.
"Why not?" the maid retorted.
"You've lived that way for yeara."
Yes. but rich one," pleaded he.
The words came thick and last,
"The higher cost of living
Has nabbed me fast at last.1
Man advertised for his missing wife,
describing among other things her
large Roman nose. Bet a bean he
doesn't find her. A nose of that sort
never turns up.
e e
"Happiness," warbles IJlbertus Hub
bardus. "lies In the pursuit and not the
catching of It."
Bet Elbertus never ran for the last
car.
e
My Idea of an economical wife is one
who saves her wedding dress for a
possible second wedding.
'
There once was a person
With purpose most kind
Who called round at Sing Sing
Some converts to find.
A bold counterfeiter
at lonelv and sad
And the person spoke thusly
To make his soul glad:
"Is It thoughts of the past
That your soul sadly frets?"
"Naw. It's what didn't pass
That my sad soul regrets."
Hospital case of the woman "Injured
by reckless driving" turns out to be
nail not auto.
I believe that the sole and only pur
pose of a pitcher of water In front of
an orator is to give him something to
do when he can't think.
"Don't stand beside the stove, Fred. I
The weather Is not cold."
"But I aln-t warmin" weather,"
Replied young Teddy bold.
.
Chortles, an enthusiast: "What glad
thoughts surge through the mind in
contemplating a large family gathered
about the festive board." Just so. But
the gladdest thought that surges Is
that there isn't going to be enough or
anything left over to supply hash and
fricassee for the next ten days.
A moving speech "Fire!"
Woman lost her switch and, adver
tising for it, had it returned. Only
genuine hair restorer I ever heard of.
Housewives Interested in the higher
wage question shouldn' kick about the
price of eggs. Remember, sistern, one
egg is a whole day's work for one hen.
m m m
Statistics show that women talk less
in February than In any other month.
If women were bank directors we
wouldn't hear of so many instances
where banks go to smash and the di
rectors "know nothing of what is go
ing on."
Will Henry Thompson's
Famous Poem
A cloud possessed the hollow field.
The gathering battle's smokv shield.
Athwart the gloom the lightning flashed.
And through the cloud some horsemen
dashed.
And from the heights the thunder pealed.
Then, at the brief command of Lee,
Moved out that matchless infantry.
With Pickett leading grandly down.
To rush against the roaring crown
Of those dread heights of destiny.
Far heard above the angry guns
A cry across the tumult runs.
The voice that rang through Shlloh's
woods
And Chickamauga'8 solitudes.
The fierce South cheering on her sons!
Ah, how the withering tempest blew
Against the front of Fettigrew!
A Kunsin wind that scorched and singed
Like that infernal flame that fringed
The British squares at Waterloo!
A thousand fell where Kemper led:
A thousand died where Garnett bled;
In blinding flame and strangling smoke
The remnant through the batteries
broke
And crossed the works with Armistead.
"Once more in Glory's van with me!" .
Virginia cried to Tennessee:
"We two together, come what may.
Shall stand upon these works today!"
(The reddest day in history.)
Brave Tennessee! In reckless way
Virginia heard her comrade say:
"Close round this rent and riddled rag!"
What time she set her battle-flag
Amid the guns of Doubleday.
But who shall break the guards that
wait
Before the awful face of Fate?
The tattered standards of the South
Were shriveled at the cannon's mouth
And all her hopes were desolate. '
In vain the Tennesseean set
His breast against the bayonet!
In vain Virginia charged and raged.
A tigress in her wrath uncaged.
Till all the hill was red and wet!
Above the bayonets, mixed and crossed.
Men saw a gray, gigantic ghost
Receding through the battle-cloud.
And heard across the tempest loud
The death-cry of a nation lost!
The brave went down! Without dis
grace They leaped to Ruin's red embrace. '
They only heard Fame's thunders wake.
And saw the dazzling sunburst break
In smiles on Glory's bloody face!
They fell, who lifted up a hand
And bade the sun in heaven to stand!
They smote and fell, who set the bars
Against the nro&rresa rf lh. staru
And stayed the march of Motherland!
They stood, who saw the future come
On through the fight's delirium!
ihey smote and stood, who held the
hope
Of nations on that slippery slope
Amid the cheers of Christendom!
God lives! He forged the iron will
inat clutched and held that trembling
hill.
God lives and refsrns! He built and lent
The heights for Freedom's battlement
wnere floats her flag In triumph still!
Fold up the banners! Smelt the Buna!
Love rules. Her gentler purpose runs.
A mighty mother turns in tears
The pages of her battle years
Lamenting all her fallen sons!