TTTP? STTXDAT OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, SEPTEMBER 14, 1913.
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FORT LAN D. RUN DAT. SEPT. 14. 1913.
GOING TO COLLEGE.
For birds and college students Fall
la the season for migration. The
swallows are making them ready to
fir. wheeling out on the -windy sky.
and the young men and women are
flitting away to their various colleges.
Some go east, some go west and per
haps here and there one flies over
the cuckoo's nest, if we may use this
poetical expression to signify that aim
less lack of purpose with which some
of our youth frequent the halls of
learning. Happily these mavericks,
as we may perhaps designate them
out of courtesy to the Round-L'p, are
few. The greater number by far of
the young people who go to college
have In mind some ample ambition.
They wish to acquire that vague treas
ure which Is called "general educa
tion." or they seek "mental culture"
for the sake of the Intellectual power
which it Is supposed to Impart. Many,
long before they enter college, have
their professions unalterably chosen
and whatever they do in the four
years of their course bears as aptly as
they can make It upon this purpose.
Academic rules and the Idiosyncrasies
of professors often interfere with the
line of studies a student would prefer
if left to himself, but upon the whole
In a good modern institution his free
dom is wide. If he is obliged now
and then to pursue some branch
which he detests this Is compensated
by his undoubted liberty to include
everything he likes.
Although it is fashionable now-a-days
to scold the seats of the higher
learning, we shall venture on this oc
casion to say a word in their praise.
"We admire them for some of the
enemies they have made, among whom
the aggressive Mr. Edward Bok is
included. If this gentleman could
have his way, Judging from his OuX
look article, he would consecrate the
entire teaching force of the colleges
to preparing young people for busi
ness, that Is for making money or
helping somebody else make it. "We
gather from his incisive remarks that
his ideal college would be a place
where spelling and punctuation were
assiduously inculcatec" with some type
writing and shorthand as time could
be spared for them from the two fun
damentally Important branches. He
treats the old traditional subjects, such
as Greek and the higher mathematics,
with a certain scorn because they
merely nourish "Ideals." Tht despite
ful way in which Mr. Bok and some of
his school speak of Ideals is most edi
fying. In their estimation one little
round dollar rates all the Ideals that
have been won and lost since time
began. But not in ours. We value
the colleges most highly for exactly
that which lowers them in the eyes of
some of their critics. It is because
they have not yielded to the fascina
tions of the dollar but have, with
some waverli'gs and dippings down
ward, upheld the ideal for the wor
ship of youth that we love them. It
may In future years be taken for the
crowning merit of the colleges that
they are not practical.
Where, if not within their walls,
are our young people to learn the
thoughts that have founded civiliza
tion? Who, if not their professors,
hall teach them to love the beauty
that does more than burn the topless
towers of Ilium, the beauty that
molds millennial evolution and fixes
the goal for human effort? If their
professors are to deal with nothing
but the practical where In all the
world shall we find room for the
ideal? When are young men and
women to read the poets if not In
college? What leisure will the press
ing affairs of active life leave them
to dip Into Gibbon; to make acquaint
ance with the organ music of Paradise
Lost: to know how Homer told his
stories and Herodotus narrated the
drama of the Persian wars? It is
for such things as these that we have
colleges.
If there were nothing in the world
but dollars the best education for a
gifted youth would be to apprentice
him to some merchant or manufactur
er as soon as he could walk and keep
his nose steadily to the grindstone.
But, heaven be praised, there are oth
er things than dollars. There are
things in life that money cannot buy
and that no merchant ever can sell
and it Is for the sake of these imma
terial treasures that young men and
women forego the pursuit of tangible
profit for a little part of their lives
and dwell with the wise and great of
all the ages. Of course It is very sad
and shocking when persons graduate
from college without being able to
spell all the words In the dictionary,
but If they have acquired the Ideals
that Milton lived for and Socrates died
for we think they have gained com
pensations. Every concession that the colleges
make to the practical is to be regard
ed with misgivings. At most they ask
only four years of the youth's life for
the spiritual, a small proportion In
deed, and they ought to guard with
miserly Jealousy every moment of It.
Four years are all too brief a time
to learn the problems that lie at the
basis of thought and the solutions that
great speculative geniuses have imag
ined for them: to read through the
Immortal books which have nourished
the souls of the heroes of the race; to
ponder the theories of the universe
which make and mar our existence.
The higher the college faculty fly
above the solid ground the better. If
they can sail In the empyrean for four
full years and keep their students up
there with them among the clouds,
they are to be admired and envied.
Grand visions, airy speculations, am
bitions too lofty for earth, dreams that
never can come true, are the rightful
food of the youthful mind. From such
Insubstantial diet they digest the
thoughts that perfect civilization and
make religion grow more divine aa the
ages pass
It is time to praise the colleges for
their fidelity to the standard of the
Ideal when pretty nearly ail the rest
of the world had forsaken It. They
battled loyally for the true, the beau
tiful and the good when everybody
else was scrambling for dollars. They
toiled upward for the value pure and
undefiled that fadeth not away when
the path was hard and lonely and the
multitude mining for dross regarded
them with contempt. It is meet now
that they should begin to reap their
reward in the love of those who can
think. '
BKAINS AT A DISCOUNT.
John Bassett Moore, one of the
world's greatest authorities on Inter
national law. is not comfortable In his
position of counsellor of the State De
partment. He has twice before served
that department under men of experi
ence and ability. Then his advice was
sought on affairs of the greatest mo
ment. His superiors and associates
from Secretary Bryan down are Inex
perienced and stand In much more
need of his advice, but either It is not
sought or it Is ignored, and a quantity
of routine work which Mr. Bryan's
green hands are Incompetent to han
dle is thrust upon him.
Mr. Moore took the office with
great reluctance at the urgent per
sonal solicitation of President Wilson,
who expressed a desire for the benefit
of his great ability and experience in
diplomacy. It was expected that his
advice on foreign policy would be
sought, but it was not asked on Mexi
can affairs until after John Lind had
been appointed confidential agent, and
he was not Informed of that appoint
ment until he read of it in the news
papers. He has taken a month's va
cation and there would be little sur
prise if he should resign.
The one department of the Govern
ment which requires the highest abil
ity and experience is put in tha hands
of men who have had no previous con.
nection with foreign affairs, headed by
a man v.-hose time is divided between
chasing the rainbows of peace and
chasing the dollars of the Chautauqua
circuit. The men who have done
long, faithful and distinguished serv
ice as diplomats are displaced to
make room for men whose sole rec
ommendation Is that they are Demo
crats. And this is called progress!
GOVERNORS CONFERENCES FRUITLESS.
Great hopes were entertained that
the states would agree on concerted
action in regard to some important
questions in. which all are concerned
when the first conference of Gover
nors met at the White House several
years ago. Similar conferences have
been held in every subsequent year,
but each one has attracted less at
tention than the one preceding until
now they have degenerated into Junk
ets and opportunities for self-exploitation.
The reason is that the conferences
have accomplished nothing and the
people have ceased to hope that they
will ever accomplish anything. Much
more has been done by the National
committee on uniform laws, but much
more needs to be done. The Gover
nors conferences have not even be
gun to do anything, and the phrase
"House of Governors," once applied
to them, excites only derision.
If the states really wish to bring
about uniformity as to those laws
which should be alike in every state,
they might take a leaf out of the book
of Congress and of their own Legisla
tures. When the Senate and House
disagree on a bill they appoint a con
ference committee to reconcile their
differences and the agreements of
these committees are almost invari
ably ratified. Were the Legislature
of each state to appoint one or two
men to meet like delegates from the
other states in conference, who would
draft uniform bills for submission to
each Legislature, their recommenda
tions would have better chance of
adoption, rne Dins inus arawn wouiu
have behind them the weight of the
authority of the body which must pass
upon them. The Governors could
continue to meet and talk and junket,
but the legislative conferences would
do the actual work.
THE EXCUSE OF IGNORANCE.
Because The Oregonian the ' other
day recalled the failure of the Oregon
Senators to obstruct or even attempt
to obstruct a 19.000,000 raid on Ore
gon reclamation funds It is "stabbing,"
"poisoning," "undermining," "pulling
down." according to a Portland Dem
ocratic newspaper which has frequent
explosions In its store of expletives.
Why does The Oregonian not criticise
Mr. Ellis, who knew of the Joker in
the bill, for not notifying the Senators?
Why does It not criticise Mr. Hawley
for not protesting In the House? Why
does it not condemn Senator Lodge for
announcing in the Senate that the bill
made no changes in the reclamation
laws? Why does it not denounce the
President for pushing the bill? All
these are questions asked by our ful
minating contemporary to excuse the
unfortunate lack of resistance in the
Senate.
Let us apply a little of this Demo
cratic newspaper's own logic to the
others it orings into the case. Per
haps the President believed the bill
satisfactory because nobody told him
about the addition of the clause re
pealing section . 9, and because he
heard no word of protest from "the
floor of either House; perhaps Senator
Lodge had no watchful guardian in
the other House to tell him all the
things he ought to learn for himself
about the bill: perhaps Mr. Hawley
was Inactive because of lack of in
formation from Mr. Ellis; we already
have the word of the Senator's de
fender that the Senators were ex
cusable for not knowing what a
cursory perusal of the bill would dis
close, because Mr. Hawley and Mr.
Ellis had not Instructed them in the
matter. If trie Senators are to "pass
the buck" why not let the buck be
passed clear down the line?
The result will be about as this pop
ular pastime usually ends. The one
least to blame will bear the entire
burden of the fault. Mr. Ellis is the
only one whom the flimsy plea of
excusable ignorance would not clear.
If that plea clears Senator Chamber-
tain.. Mr. Ellis did protest in com
mittee.
The cold, simple fact is that there
was gross neglect of duty by the Ore
gon Senators. That some one else
was also derelict does not excuse them
In any particular.
"Mr. Chamberlain has done many
excellent things for Oregon," we are
told, but "nobody ever saw one of
these acts commended In The Ore
gonian." But suppose all these good
things were measured against Ore
gon's loss of reclamation funds.
against Oregon's prospective loss
through admitting wool to the free
list; -against Oregon's contribution to
the useless and repressive duty on
grain bags! How would the totals
compare? And were any of the ac
complishments for Oregon by Our
George of striking originality or other
than the common things that every
other Senator gets for his state as a
sort of routine duty?
Senator Chamberlain, like ex-Senator
Bourne, has performed some im
portant services from a National
standpoint and in them Oregon has Its
share of interest. The Oregonian has
but lately commended his Alaska
railway bill and but recently endorsed
with warmth his efforts in behalf of
birds of plumage. But The Orego
nian's conception of a useful United
States Senator is one who, while fix
ing his gaze on affairs of the whole
country and perhaps the circumam
bient atmosphere, is not blind to the
vital and peculiarly individual needs
of his own state and has the courage
to protect and aid them.
Its ideal of a Representative In
Congress Is much the same, but It sees
no occasion for adding as qualifica
tions the capacity and willingness to
act as majordomo or wet nurse to
his Senate colleagues.
ACTIOX ON THE SEAMEN'S BILL.
If those Senators and Representa
tives who are most directly interested
in the merchant marine will exert
themselves, they may be able to secure
the passage at this session of the sea
men's bill, which was vetoed by Pres
ident Taft in the last days of last ses
sion. The bill, with slight modifica
tions, has been reintroduced and is
now before the committee of the Sen
ate. It has been indorsed by the Sec
retaries of Commerce and of Labor
and meets with the approval of Presi
dent Wilson.
This bill relieves seamen from the
peonage in which the law now holds
them, provides for greater safety of
life at sea, and will aid revival of the
merchant marine by helping to equal
ize the cost of operating American and
foreign ships. While it makes im
portant changes In the conditions now
prevailing in the shipping industry, it
makes them gradually and will not
come into full effect until four or five
years after its passage.
As a member of the Senate commit
tee on commerce. Senator Chamber
lain Is in a position to forward the
passage of this bill and Senator Lane
could not do better than second his ef
forts. The Senate has no business of
Importance to consider before the con
ference committee on the tariff reports
or the banking and currency bill
comes up from the House. This In
terval could well be used in procuring
a favorable report from the committee
and the passage of the bill. It would
then be ready for action by the House,
as soon as the remaining committees
have been appointed.
OREGON POLITICS.
Walter C. Woodward's "Political
Parties In Oregon" is one of the most
entertaining books we have read for a
long time. It Is full of research and
scholarship and nobody can go
through it without learning a thou
sand things, but its best quality Is
recreative. To an Oregonian who
knows something of the dark ways
and vain tricks by which politics is
trundled through Its defiles Professor
Woodward Is like an unabashed ur
chin revealing family secrets at the
dinner table. His history, which
ought by good rights to be as dry as
an Egyptian mummy, is almost dra
matic in its charm. It even has a
pretty definite plot with a dark, de
signing villain if not a hero. To be
quite candid, there are a score or two
of politically sinister characters, but
the most important is Asahel Bush,
who founded the Oregon Statesman In
1850 and soon made it the dominant
political force in the territory. At
first the Statesman was published in
Oregon City, but by 1853 Mr. Bush
found it expedient to remove his plant
to Salem. There was a hot fight be
tween the two towns for the state cap
ital. He favored Salem in that vitri
olic manner which was characteristic
of his Journalism, and such patronage
as he had secured in Oregon City nat
urally waned away before a great
while.
Professor Woodward's admiration
for Bush's political deftness is unlim
ited, but it can scarcely be said that
he feels much affection for his hero.
Speaking of the founding of the
Statesman, he says: "Through its edi
tor, Asahel Bush, cold, calculating, re
lentless, it was to dominate Oregon
nnmifa for a. decade, making and
breaking politicians at wllL" On an
other page he empnasizes mis juag
ment: "The real dictator of the Ore
rnn Democracy was the man behind
the Statesman, wary. Inflexible, ruth
less." Seeking to account for the ab
solute dominance of the Oregon
Democratic party in territorial oays,
our author sums up that "one is forced
to return to the conclusion that the
xnnrrnllinr force in the situation was
found in the coercive influence of the
Oregon Statesman and in the person
ality of its editor, Asahel Bush." His
most powerful opponent was The Ore
gonian, which published its first issue
in December, 1850. Four years later
or t. Adams established the Argus at
Oregon City. The Oregonian and the
Argus spoke in those years for a more
or less modified Whlgism. Adams ad
vocated a territorial government, ine
Oregonian, under Dryer's editorship,
was opposed to the change on the
ct emprise. The Democrats
desired territorial organization pro
vided that they could control tne ol
flces. ThU end thev achieved very happily
by forming at Salem a close little band
which was known as the "Clique. in
the words of Professor Woodward,
"With Bush and the Statesman as a
nucleus, Salem at once became the
recognized headquarters and rendez
nf n. little coterie of Democratic
politicians which held Oregon in the
palm of Its hand." The Clique made
Mr,A marred men at its pleasure. When
Joe Lane began his career in Oregon
he was on friendly terms witn it- iis
personal charm and political facility
,.iniihi asset as lone as he was
sufficiently docile, but when the break
finally came these quamies maae mm
a formidable foe. Lane really wanted
to use Oregon as a stepping-stone to
higher things. From the days of his
residence in Indiana he aspired to run
for President of the United States, and
Professor Woodward assures us that
h wnq not without support irom ex
alted quarters. The prestige which he
gained in Oregon pontics aiueu mm m
his larger ambitions. The lute was
rtoA hv the contentions over slavery.
Tono waa vlolentlv pro-slavery. In
Congress he obediently voted with the
Southern nre-eatera ana received as
his reward the nomination for the
Vice-Presidency on the Breckenrldge
ticket. Bush and the Clique held to
the squatter sovereignty doctrine with
Douglas. On this Issue tne Oregon
Democrats split into two bitterly hos
tile factions whose mutual wranglings
opened an opportunity for the feeble
birth of the Republican party.
The pro-slavery Democrats were ex
tremely aggressive in Oregon, as they
were everywhere. It was said truth
fully by the men of those days that
one of the rabid pro-slavery brand was
equal to ten of his Douglas opponents
because of the uncompromising vigor
of his attacks. Professor Woodward
brings out with startling clarity the
real danger there was that Oregon
might Join fortunes with the slave oli
garchy of the South. He quotes and
indorses T. W. Davenport's remark in
the Quarterly of the Historical Society
that in 1857 "the people of Oregon
were In far more danger of the intro
duction of slavery among .them than
the people of Kansas were at any
time." The Democrats had control
and "the masses of their voters were
In blind subservience to their leaders."
Lane was notoriously pro-slavery and
a Southern sympathizer, "and his in
fluence upon the rank and file was
sinister." The Federal office-holders
In the territory were chosen for their
pro-slavery loyalty by Buchanan,
while the Dred Scott decision, by mak
ing slavery National under the Con
stitution, had in a measure tied the
hands of the free soilers. Dryer, edi
tor of The Oregonian, who was in the
Legislature of 1856-7, declared from
what he saw there that "the leaders,
office-holders and office-hunters had
been busy all Winter preparing with
ever-increasing boldness to force slav
ery into Oregon; and that several of
the prominent leaders had openly de
clared that the Democratic party was
in favor of the introduction of slav
ery." Judge Deady, "one of the most
prominent, gifted and popular Demo
crats in Oregon, advocated the intro
duction of slavery." according to
Dryer, as our author quotes him.
portentous of all, "five of the eight
newspapers in the territory directly or
indirectly advocated slavery." How
this peril was averted and turned into
a victory for freedom Professor Wood
ward tells with a master's skill in his
history.
SMASHING MACHINES.
Amid all the outcry for rescue of
New York City from machine rule,
what has become of the direct pri
mary, which the Progressive party
once worshipped so devoutly? That
party has Joined in the nomination of
a ticket by a committee which lacked
even the representative character of
the now contemned delegate conven
tion. It has forgotten all about the
rule of the people and has sadly re
lapsed into machine methods.
Had our largest, wickedest and
worst-governed city taken a leaf out
of Portland's book and ignored par
ties in municipal affairs it would have
had a better chance of destroying the
Tammany machine. But it would at
the same time have smashed the ma
chines of all the other parties, to
which the leaders are devotedly at
tached. What they want Is to smash
the other parties' machines and keep
their own Intact.
If New York City should not escape
the benign rule of Tammany and re
cover control of its own government,
the reason will be the same as that
for which the United States retains
control of the Philippine government
the great city Is not fit for self-government.
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
What Waterloo was to the first Na
poleon, Sedan, fought on September 1,
1870, was to the third. After that
battle, hope of French victory was
gone. The best France could do was
to delay the inevitable. From that day
It became certain that Germany would
dictate terms of peace.
Had Germany been magnanimous,
she could have taken away the sting
of defeat by demanding no spoils of
victory in the shape of cession of terri
tory. But she insisted on annexing Al
sace and Lorraine in adltion to the
payment of a huge Indemnity and the
occupation of French territory until it
was paid. Whatever may have been
the racial stock of those provinces,
they were French in language and
spirit, and could be held only by force.
They thus became a burden rather
than a source, of strength. Their loss
was a dally reminder of humiliation to
the French, and kept alive a desire for
revenge which prompted military arm
ament In preparation for another war.
It caused France to look on all sides
for allies and led to the alliance with
Russia and later to the understanding
with England. It surrounded Ger
many with enemies, actual or poten
tial, and forced her to keep in a state
of continual preparedness for war. She
dared not sheath the sword lest
France and ftussia fall upon her and
England destroy her growing navy. It
forced her to find allies In Austria ana
Italy and to Induce those countries to
assume military burdens second only
to her own.
Had Germany not taken Alsace and
Lorraine, had she generously left the
French frontier Intact, the feeling of
resentment might -fell have given
place in time to that of gratitude for
a magnanimous act. The thirst for
revenge would not have been kept
alive. The foundation might have
been laid for a Franco-German alli
ance which would have been a guar-,
anty of peace to Western Europe. Mu
tual respect for each other's valor and
common Interests have been known to
change foes into allies. Such an alli
ance would have made armies of only
half the present size sufficient to ward
off attack from any quarter on either
of the allies.
What Germany actually gained by
her victory over France she would
have gained without the annexation of
Alsace and Lorraine and her greatest
gain has been the firing of the spirit
of a common nationality which welded
the German states together in the
empire. That cleared away the ob
stacles to the marvelous industrial,
commercial and maritime development
of Germany which has come in the
last forty-three years. This develop
ment would have been the greater for
avoidance of the waste due to keep
ing hundreds of thousands of men un
der arms during the best years of
their youth, when they .should have
been at work on the upbuilding of
German industry. German commerce
could have expanded and a navy
could have been built up to guard it
without arousing the suspicion and
enmity which prompted England to
engage Germany In extravagant com
petition in constructing warships and
to thwart her colonial ambition.
The real peril against which Ger
many needs to guard lies to the east
and south, not to the west. It Is the
rising tide of Pan-Slavism, which is
fostered by Russia, which has received
a great Impetus from the triumph of
the Balkan states over Turkey and
which threatens to spilt off the south- i
era provinces of the Austrian Empire
at no distant day.
Even at this late day it would be to
the advantage of Germany were she
voluntarily to restore the annexed
provinces to France. Such an act
would end French hostility and begin
an era of friendship in which all West
ern Europe might be united in a league
of peace. Armies and navies adequate
to withstand Slavonic aggression could
still be maintained, but five nations
could be relieved of the intolerable
burden under which they now groan.
The annexation of Alsace and Lor
raine was the Initial cause of modern
European militarism.
REMEDY FOB CAR SHORTAGE.
Shortage of cars during the crop
moving season is inevitable unless the
number of cars and train crews is
enormously increased. As these would
casTiVes would be" necessary to
,k urnarts for th add-
ed expense. But railroads should be
able to increase the efficiency of their
Pre o,a.:
gree as would greatly reduce the
shortage.
The average movement of a freight
car is only 24 miles a day. This is
absurdly slow. Of course a car moves
a greater distance when actually trav
eling. The average is pulled down by
the number of days It stands Idle in
a blockaded yard or on a sidetrack
waiting to be loaded or unloaded. For
the latter cause of delay the shipper
is largely, if not mainly, responsible,
and the railroads continually appeal
to the shippers to hasten movement of
cars.
But delays In the yards are the
fault of the railroads. Either their
yards are too small er the railroads
try to handle too much traffic. If
they would co-operate in the move
ment for waterway Improvement and
would relax their grip on water ter
minals, bulky, cheap freight would
go by water and thus relieved the
railroads could get many more miles
of traffic out of each car. The only
alternative Is periodical enlargement
of terminals, which will become more
costly as cities grow and value of
land rises. The terminals are now
so far behind present needs that by
the time the railroads had caught up,
another enlargement would have be
come necessary.
The excuse that shippers get more
rapid transit by rail than by water
will not hold good; almost any old
steamboat or tugboat can travel more
than 24 miles a day, even including
the time occupied in loading and dis
charge. SWEDENBORG.
The greatness of Emanuel Sweden
borg is not commonly appreciated.
Since his death in 1772 interest in his
character and work has been gradu
ally increasing and the number of
congregations who profess his theolog
ical tenets has slowly enlarged, but to
this day these churches are scattering
and their membership comparatively
restricted. The first Swedenborgian
church was founded in London in
1783, eleven years after the death of
the prophet. Four years later it as
sumed the name "New Church," by
which the Swedenborglans have since
designated themselves. Soon after
ward his doctrines began tor spread in
the United States and on the continent
of Europe, but not very rapidly. In
1886 the state of the societies in Great
Britain and the United States was
moderately encouraging. In the for
mer country there were 65 churches
with 5700 members. In the United
States the churches numbered 116,
while missions had been established in
Italy, Sweden and Germany. Since
that date the church has certainly
been erowin. but the rate is not
rapid. Swedenborg's doctrines are
esoteric. His genius was mystical and
his modes of thought so unusual that
It will require centuries to popularize
his profound and difficult conceptions
of religion.
It may seem strange that the New
Church should have gained its first
foothold in England Instead of Swe
den, the land of its founder's birth.
But in 1668, the year when he was
born, Sweden was in a backward con
dition intellectually. The great man
was compelled to publish his books in
other countries, mainly in England,
while at home few understood him or
cared for the questions which he dis
cussed. Sweden was at that time more
concerned with military glory than
with the affairs of the soul. The
King, Charles XII, was exhausting the
resources of his people In a fruitless
struggle with Russia and their interest
naturally clung to the fortunes of that
extraordinary monarch, whose adven
tures Voltaire has recounted in one of
his most entertaining works. Charles
was the friend of Swedenborg and one
of his few admirers in Sweden. To
show his good will he appointed the
philosopher to an important position
in the Swedish College of Mines and
thus secured him a comfortable in
come. This was in 1716, long before
Swedenborg had developed his pro
found speculations upon religion.
Educated at. the University of Up
sala, which was then a moderately ad.
vaneed seat of learning, he showed at
first an unusual aptitude for exact sci
ence and mathematics. His work on
algebra .was the first ever published in
the Swe'dlsh language. When his col
lected scientific works appeared in
1734 they excited wide attention
throughout Europe and gained for the
author high standing among savants.
A year later he published the treatise
on "The Infinite and Final Cause of
Creation," which marks the turning
point in his career. From that date
he no longer devoted himself to
mathematics and physical science, but
gave all his energies to speculations
upon the unseen world. His many
books, as they 'originally appeared,
were .published at his own expense and
such slender returns as they brought
in he allowed the booksellers to retain.
The great Roche edition of his works.
whose publication by Houghton, Miff
lin & Co. has Just been completed,
makes accessible to readers for the
first time in compact form the mar
velous thoughts' of this incomparable
religious genius.
We are not told that Swedenborg
experienced any "new birth" or sud
den conversion, like Paul and John
Bur.yan. The transition of his mind
f rt m earthly to heavenly interests was
gradual. At a certain point in his life
he ceased to write upon sicence and
mathematics, and began to deliver his
views upon the soul and the world of
spirits. That Is about all we can say
on the subject of his conversion. More
than any other of the great prophets
Swedenborg professed to have first
hand knowledge of the invisible world.
He actually, in his own belief, dwelt
among the angels, listened to their
conversation and knew all about their
habits. Heaven and hell were here on
earth. Every person built up his fu
ture state as he passed through life,
so that at death there was no violent
transition, but a mere disencumber
ment of the body. The free spirit did
not fly away to any remote sphere, but
took up its dwelling among the other
angels invisible to its living friends,
but near them. Naturally Swedenborg
possessed incredible mediumistic pow
ers, and there is no question whatever
that his "phenomena" were genuine.
The philosopher Kant, who investi
gated some of them, was convinced of
their reality. For example, Sweden
borg was besought by a widow to tell
where her deceased husband had laid
a missing receipt. It was for the price
of some silverware and the merchant
was seeking to collect the debt a sec
ond time. Swedenborg described to
her a secret drawer where the paper
had been concealed. She looked there
and found it. He professed to have
obtained his information from the
husband's spirit, and Kant believed
him. What reason is there to douDt
the story? Jhe , best evidence , here U
for Swedenborg's mediumistic powers
is his own character. He never vaunt
ed them, seldom gave seances and re-
Uused to base the truth hisdoctHnes
upon any miraculous performances. It
was his own deep conviction mat ne
knew the angels exactly as he did his
living friends and conversed with them
in the same way.
Swedenborg interpreted the Bible
symbolically. The day of creation in
Genesis stood, as he conceived' it, for
the progress of the soul from sin to
righteousness. Adam stood for the
most ancient church, the flood for its
dissolution, and so on. In this way
the Bible may be made to mean any
thing whatever, but under Sweden
borg's manipulation it at least escaped
the inane significance which some
weaker theologians have given it. He
believed in the 'deity," not the divin
ity, of Jesus. The trinity was ex
plained as three modes of the same
person, a tenet which made him a
heretic, or a Unitarian, which comes
to the same thing. The final Judgment
took place In the year 1757. At that
date a New Dispensation began and a
New Church was established by the
Almighty, with Swedenborg's writings
for its foundation. This church is
symbolized by the New Jerusalem of
the Apocalypse. The Incomprehensi
bly mystical visions of John the Apos
tle seem to have been Swedenborg's
favorite part of the Bible.
Miss Eleanor Wilson, daughter of
the President, rode from New York
to Cornish, N. H., in an upper berth
because no man would surrender a
lower berth to her. They all said the
President's daughter could sleep in an
upper berth as well as anybody else.
Of course she can do so as well as
any other woman. Some man should
have given her his lower berth, not
because' she Is the President's daugh
ter, but because she is a woman. But
courtesy to woman is dying out In
the Atlantic states, though still prac
ticed In the "raw and untutored"
West.
Representative Hobson proposes
that the Government publish a week
ly newspaper, to be called the Official
Journal. He would create a circula
tion by giving each Senator 25,000
and each Representative 15,000 copies
for distribution, which would make a
total of 8,895,000 copies. We pre
sume that all the departments would
be required to publish all official
announcements and pronouncements
in the Journal. In that case it would
trench on the field of Secretary
Bryan's Commoner.
At a loss for an occupation since
his retirement from the Navy, Rear
Admlral Osterhaus will raise canaries
and doves. "I feel lost without some
thing to do," he says. "I was never
in better physical condition." There
is something wrong with a system
which automatically retires a vigorous
man of 62 and dooms him 'to such
trivial occupations. History is full of
the names of men who performed
their best work after they passed that
age.
The Japanese have been famed for
their courtesy, but they seem to be
much like other nations. When they
become excited about politics, they
forget their manners. When informed
that the foreign minister would re
ceive a delegation, the mob which
clamored for war on China howled
in derision.
An evening paper says "the alight
ing passenger is entitled to cross the
street without risking his life by the
speeding of a car on the other track."
Granted. But the alighting passenger
seldom cares to be killed and is
bound to recognize possible danger
on the opposite track.
State Superintendent Churchill has
the thanks of Oregon parents for his
vigilance in detecting a holdup of 50
per cent in the price of one textbook.
Individually the loss would have been
slight, to be sure; collectively the
"profit" would be in five figures.
Another woman writer of fiction Is
seeking a divorce. Somehow, the
talent la not conducive to domesticity.
In this later case the husband the
second, by the way Is alleged to have
assaulted her with a chair. He might
have made it worse with the ax.
The Duchess of Roxburghe (May
Goelet) attributes the fact that her
baby is a boy to her abstinence from
food containing sugar, according to
Instructions of a Vienna specialist.
What a deadly blow that doctor dealt
at the candy industry.
Mrs. Lillian Bell Bogue accuses her
husband, who is a promoter, of fail
ing to account for $70,000 which she
had earned as a writer. What does
she expect of a promoter? Is not Mr.
Lillian Bell Bogue entitled to his
commission ?
The fire that destroyed $40,000
worth of business property at Bend
yesterday caused serious loss to a
thriving town, but the losers show the
Bend spirit by announcing they will
rebuild of brick at once.
To the ordinary individual a Fed
eral Judge seems to have an easy Job;
but Just think of the Judge who has
to listen to the appeal of the dyna
miters in a brief of 725 pages;
There will be a little oMX county
fair at Gresham this week that will
remind people along in years of the
cattle shows and "punkln" shows of
their youth.
Be careful in arranging the bill of
fare tomorrow. It Is "Made in Ore
gon" day.
This is the last day to hatch plots
against the peace of mind of "dere
techer."
Scraps and Jingles
By Leone Lata uaer.
Appendicitis covers a multitude of
sins.
a a a
Many a girl weds a man, not because
she thinks he will make a success in
business, but because his father did.
a
My idea of a primitive hypocrite Is
the child who goes smilingly to school,
a a a
See where Governor West Is going
to have a choir sing to the prisoners.
Well, they can't object on the ground
that It wasn't included in their sen
tences. a a
The only time a woman keeps her
mouth closed for any length of time
is when she is getting it accustomed to
her store teeth.
.
Shrieks Mrs. Pankhurst, "We want
women to sweep the country." Yes, but
some of them would shine better
sweeping the kitchen.
e
Advertisement for local store was to
read, come and look at our 10 beautiful
windows, and the compositor got it out
10 beautiful widows.
Another difference is that you can
see through a window.
Help! Thaw is out again!
a a a
That was paneful, wasn't it?
t
Speaking of mis-prints, I saw one
that should have read "Ask any patron
you meet about the wearing qualities of
our B. V. D.'s." And the printed word
read matrons.
a a a
Dr. Friedman says that he believes
liquor rightly applied is a benefit to
humanity, and clinches the assertion
by saying, "I've proved it for whisky
saved my life once." Well, how does
that 'prove it has benefited anybody?
a
Answer to T. P.: A table d'hote meal
is the only sort a man eats with his
reg'lar wife.
a a a
Uncle Sam Is going to be forced into
acquiring more territory. There's not
half enough states now to write slush
Bongs about.
a a . a
For a change and novelty and down
right uniqueness, why not dash off a
ballad about Mount Hood, or Portland's
roses for a popular song? '
a a
Newspaper article says, "Jessie Wil
son the President's daughter, is taller
than the average woman." Well, Isn't
she going to marry and settle down?
a a a
See where a fireman is being sued
for breach of promise by one of his old
flames.
a a a
Women dress "at" each other,
a a
Note where a seaside belle has be
come Mrs. Lott Somebody. Reckon all
"his folks" will call her "Lotfs wife."
a a a
Royalty in great gobs, and grand and
noble presents at ex-King Manny's
wedding. I'll bet he'd rather had the
money.
a . a a
One thing enfranchisement has done
for us. Where men used to blame us
for nearly ' everything we now get
blamed for It all.
a a a
Huerta claims to have a bit of Irlsli
blood. Well, the percentage Is too
small to do him any good.
a
I don't believe that old proverb that
"those who live by the sword die by
the sword." Just read where a break
fast food manufacturer died In a motor
wreck.
N. Nitts on Symptoms
By Dean Collins.
Nescius Nitts, sage of runklndorf Sta
tion, Saw a bumblebee, humming with grea.t
animation;
One nictotine Jet stopped the bee's
aviation,
Then Nescius gave out a lengthy ora
tion On health and on schools and their
Inter-relation.
My young grandson, Nescius, takes
As fine a young lad as I ever yet see;
Jest pluniD tun ox neaiin unu iB.
and vim.
All through the vacation you couldn t
stop him
From runnin' and playin' and frolic
and shout
Then all on a sudden he sorter give
out.
He moped round the house sorted Jest
a-com plain in'
How peaked he felt and how bad he
was palnin'.
Until all us folks was almost plumb
distracted
With worryin' over the way that he
We dosed him with syrups and calomel
pills.
But couldn't Jest get the real seat of
his Ills.
My daughter she sends fer a doctor
at last.
And tells him: "Come quick, for the
last hope is past!"
He comes and he looks at young
Nescius' tongue.
And tests out his pulse and the force
of his lung.
"The symptoms," he says, "ain't no
reason fer sorrow;
They're annual things the school
opens tomorrow."
What Did He Mean to Snyt
Current Opllnon.
A certain Dr. Spooner, of Oxford, has
become famous for his blundersome
way of mixing up words. Here are
some of his weird expressions. Can
you untangle them?
Turning to a young lady sitting neii
to him at a dinner table. Dr. Spooner
asked:
"Will you pass the pig's fleas?"
A little later, pointing to some cran
berry Jelly, he asked the same young
lady to pass "that stink puff."
Being late for dinner one evening, he
excused himself, saying he had been
"hatching a pasty snipe."
To a railroad porter who asked about
his baggage the doctor said that he had
"two rags and a bug."
Entering the kitchen when fish were
on the fire, he sniffed and exclaimed,
"What a h 1 of smerrings!
n iv,o worst case of all occurred
when he was in the pulpit. He an
nounced as his text: mw k
but chew are fosen. Be ye therefore of
the fosen chew."
Writing a Love Letter.
Puck.
Miss Summit I must answer his let
ter, and I want to write something
that doesn't mean anything.
Miss Palisade Why don't you tell
him you love him?
i
Rainfall on Mars.
Milwaukee News.
"Mars must be a poor market for silk
hose." "Why do you think so?" "Pro
fessor Lowell says it never rains on
Mars."