THK SUNDAY OREGONIAN, PORTIiANP. MARCH 22, 1914.
POKTI.ANi, UBEGON.
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FORTLAJiD. SUNDAY, MARCH 1914.
, .. WOOUKOW WILSON. THE MAN.
president Wilson has no illusion
that lie may not be able to see him
self as others see hira. Evidently
he; doesn't care. But he is sure that
an- mistake as to his real person
ality lies with the world at large, for
it 'falls, to see him as he sees him
self. Yet who shall say what the
real Wilson is? Shall it be the Presi
dent himself? Or his partial friends?
Or his not too impartial critics? Or
the great mass of indifferent people
who have no positive opinions and no
desire to form and express them?
It was a remarkable address the
President made to the National Press
Ciub. There undoubtedly the real
Wilson spoke. He held the mirror up
to himself for his own view and for
his auditors' view, too, but he knew
that the rays were refracted and the
vision distorted. It may fairly be
asked if any man ever really sees
himself, or woman sees herself, or if
others are able to get a clearer in
Bight. It is not likely that anyone
would know his own voice if he heard
it . for the first time projected from
some other place; so he would fail to
recognize his own characteristics, or
peculiarities, or defects, if they were
to be present and manifest in some
other.
The President of the United States
Is a mere human being, of course,
not deified by his incumbency of ex
alted station, yet transformed by
rreater responsibilities and graver
duties, and thrown out of close per
spective by his mightier elevation. It
was a rare idea advanced by Presi
dent Wilson that he could not look
Upon himself as the President, but
only as Woodrow Wilson, given for
the time a tremendous job. Doubt
Jess it was true; and he is none the
less a marvelous man and a real
President because it is true.
The President seemed to feel keen
ly that the people recognize him more
as a- mere thinking machine than as
a man with emotions, passions, feel
ings, desires, prejudices and peccad
illos such as all men have. The
reason probably is that the country
hast-not had before an Executive ap
parently dominated by cold intellect,
iwith the ordinary humanities delib
erately subordinated and even ig
nored. This is not to say that moral
and spiritual considerations do not
have due weight with him, for they
do; but it is .to say that the Presi
dent reaches his Judgments on great
questions in the light of .pure reason
that is to say, of his own reason. It
Is all right. So did Abraham Lincoln.
But how great a place the tender side
of Lincoln's lofty character has in
the affections ef a grateful and rever
ent Nation. But it is well enough
that Wilson is what he is. There is
no desire anywhere that he be, or try
to be. another Lincoln, or another
anybody, , , .'. -
It is no surprise to know ' that
Woodrow Wilson holds the Presi
dency in bo great respect, or that he
regards himself only temporarily as
the chosen head of a mighty people,
giving way in his turn to another.
The Presidency is the. people's, not
his; but the dignities, honors and
duties of the place are "his own, for
the present; and he employs and en
joys them fitly.
The American people think well of
Woodrow Wilson, his purposes, his
character and his abilities. It "is fair
to say that his policies, or some of
them, are in the balances. It can
benefit - no American If they shall
fail.
WORLD'S SirrPBCTLDrjiG RACE.
The great powers having rejected
Winston Churchill's proposal on be
half of Great Britain, that the nations
take a naval holiday by not increas
ing their naval armament, he now
proposes to give the other powers
their fill. That is the apparent mean
ing of the programme Mr. Churchill
submitted to the House of Commons.
He asks Parliament to authorize four
new battleships besides four cruisers,
twelve destroyers, and a number of
submarines, and he proudly, says:
"Great Britain will have ten of the
new big-gun battleships in the water
by the time any other nation in the
world has two." Mr. Churchill in
vites, but does not rely upon, the aid
of her colonies in strengthening the
riavy, and reminds Canada and South
Africa of the example set by Austra
lia and New Zealand. The estimates
reach the enormous total of $258,
000,000, an increase of nearly $14,
000,000. " Germany will expend only $114,
000,000, providing for one battleship
and one battle, cruiser; France will
build one battleship, spending in all
$122,500,000; Japan, one battleship,
spending $50,000,000 and providing
$78,000,000 for building to be spread
over seven years; Russia will spend
about $130,000,000, of which about
$57,000,000 will go for new construc
tion. . Her programme .is not. an
nounced, but she has under way
seven battleships and four battle
cruisers. The Italian- and Austrian
programmes are not yet known, but
Austria is building two and Italy seven
battleships. The programme of the
United States is , to build two battle
chips, six destroyers, one sea-going
submarine, thTee coast defense sub
marines and fonr small harbor de
fense submarines. . This building pro
gramme , will - cost - $43,338,044. of
which $17,508,500 Is to be expended
in the coming fiscal year.
The tendency is to increase the ton
nage of shipsahd the caliber of guns.
All -battleships now, building are of
23,000 to 30,000 tons, England alone
showing a disposition to avoid in
crease Jn size. The 12-inch gun is
passing out of date and all new guns
are of large caliber, in England. Ger
many and Italy 15 inches, in France
IJ.4 inches and in the United States
14 inches. All naval powers are add
ing to their submarine flotillas and
are increasing size and speed to the
point where these vessels will Join in
ocean warfare.
Great Britain displays a purpose to
maintain a 60 per cent superiority in
capital ships over Germany and to
Increase her lead to the point where
her rival cannot overtake her. The
race appears destined to continue to
the point of financial exhaustion. In
financial endurance the United States
Is In a position to outlast any nation
with the possible exception of Great
Britain, but our vast latent resources
will be useless against .mail-clad ships
of a power having much inferior re
sources
WHAT PORTLAND SHOULD DO.
The Mayor of Detroit-has been per
suaded to tender his sagacious coun
sel to Portland on the subject of
water meters. Detroit is the me
tropolis of the great State of Mich
igan and gets its water, by the dill-
gent use of enormous pumps, from
Lake Erie through the Detroit
River. Detroit has meters. The
reason Detroit has meters is to pre
vent .waste. Because Detroit uses
meters to restrict the use of water
and thus relieve the burden upon the
expensive machinery of the pumping
station or stations, the Mayor of De
troit has reached the sapient con
elusion that Portland may save
water, which is in Detroit the same
as money, by installing meters. For
meters, it may be repeated, are used
in Detroit to reduce the freedom of
the water flow through the mains and
give the pumps less to do.
We wonder what the sage advice
of the Mayor of Detroit would be if
the level of Lake Erie were by divine
interposition to be raised several
hundred feet, and the 600,000 water
hampered citizens of that city were
to get unlimited water by gravity
merely by turning on a faucet.
Would he be trying to, conserve the
waters of Lake Erie by requiring tne
public to use as little as possible, and
not as much as possible?
A great thought occurs to us, as a
result of the profound suggestions of
the Detroit Mayor. Let us abandon
Bull Run and go back to the Willam
ette River for our water. True, we
should .be obliged to install a pump
ing system, but by the universal use
of meters, the cost could be reduced
to a minimum. Thus the meters
would be demonstrated to be a suc
cess. Portland has, after all, the great
est financial genius in the world at
the head of its water department.
To prevent the "waste" of superflu
ous water, he proposes as a substi
tute the waste of $500,000 and more
of the taxpayers" money.
UNREGETfEBATE.
Giftord Plnchot made a speech at
Huron, South Dakota, the other day,
after having thoughtfully furnished
the newspapers of the country with
an advance copy, for which we have
no fault to find; but it seems to ex
plain why it has been printed in
numerous Democratic, near-Demo
cratic, near-Republican, and near
independent newspapers.
The speech was a funeral oration
over the Republican party: and a
caustic and contemptuous farewell to
its leaders. Cummins was described
as a good man "hopelessly out of
touch "with the political thought of
the day"; Borah has "well earned the
pitying contempt of men who believe
that principles are things to stand.
even to a man's hurt"; La Follette is
a "living example and warning of the
inward corroding power of hate";
Brlstow "fails under the acid test
and "has broken his career because
he was afraid."
But the worst is reserved for Had-
ley. Says Bre'r GIfford:
Hadley was the Roosevelt floor leader In
the great fight at Chicago. We lost In part
because Hadley, while ostensibly leading the
fight for Koosevett, was in reality preparing
the ground for his own nomination In Roose
velt's place. ' This Is neither hearsay nor
rumor. I was there; I saw it, and 1 know.
His subsequent abandonment of the men
and the cause to which his loyalty was
pledged and his timorous and feeble declara
tion in favor of the side that appeared to
have won at Chicago did not come to me
as a surprise.
Gifford saw and he knows. But
thousands of others were there, and
saw, and do not know what Gifford
alone knows. It Is probable that
Hadley could have had the nomina
tion if he had yielded to his tempta
tion and opportunity; but he did1 not.
Now his reward is the bitter and un
merited reproaches of the oratorical
Gifford.
The real offense of Cummins, Had
ley, Borah and Bristow is of course
that they did not join the Progres
sive party. They have much company
in their obstinate refusal to forswear
their idols. What an unregenerate
lot these Republicans are some mil
lions of them.
SOME PERTINENT QUESTIONS.
A most telling argument for a
stronger Navy is made in an article
by the editor of the Scientific Ameri
can. It's great merit is the manner
in which our helplessness is illustrated
as against any nation of superior na
val strength. The bubble of our "lick-
creation" vanity is pricked with the
statement that Germany and Japan
have gunners as good as ours;
that pre-dreadnought battleships are
worthless against dreadnoughts and
that, if Germany chose to acquire a
naval base in the Caribbean Sea and
England remained neutral, she could
crush our twelve dreadnoughts with
her twenty-six.
We seem already to have forgotten
the lesson of the Spanish War and to
need another lesson, less gratifying to
our pride. The naval victories of
Manila and Santiago brought Spain
to her knees and impressed upon us
the necessity in war of obtaining com
mand of the sea. The acquisition of
our island possessions impressed on
us the need of a larger Navy, that we
might retain this command. Accord
ingly during the eight years from 1898
to 1905 inclusive we built an average
of two and one-half battleships a year
and rose to second place among na
val powers. In 1905, the very year
when the first dreadnought was
launched, when all other nations rec
ognized that it had relegated old-
style battleships to the second line
and when they all began building
dreadnoughts, we slackened our pace.
Since that year we have averaged only
one and one-half battleships a year,
we have sunk to third place and are
crowded by France and Japan. To
our twelve dreadnoughts France has
eleven and Japan ten and they are
building so much faster than we that
they threaten soon to push us into
fifth place.
What bearing have these facts on
the readiness with which the Presi
dent has induced Congress to vote two j
new battleships of the dreadnought!
type this year Instead of one, as In I
recent years? What bearing have they
on those delicate questions with which
Mr. Wilson would not know how to
deal if Congress did not repeal coast
wise exemption from canal tolls? Has
he at last learned that the earnestness
with which diplomacy presses its de
mands is to be measured by compari
son of the number of big guns behind
it with the number behind the other
nation's diplomat?
Has he found it necessary to meas
urp our strength in big ships against
that of other nations? Has he found
that in dealing with the armed na
tions of Europe and Asia, we must
place our reliance on steel armor and
steel guns, not on grape-juice diplom
acy? Has he learned that the hu
miliation of surrender in the canal
tolls controversy is necessary in order
to escape greater humiliation In a
war wherein we should be over
matched ? Is that what - he meant
when he told Congress that our Na
tional honor demanded reversal of the
position he, with his party, had taken
up eighteen months ago?
If these questions, or any of them,
must be answered in the affirmative,
we shall hear very little from the little
Navy men in Congress for several
years to come, and grape-juice di
plomacy will suffer a sad eclipse. It
may be folly for the nations to waste
their substance on warships, but
while other nations are doing so, it
Is greater folly for this Nation not to
match them, ship for ship and gun
for gun.
WHAT IS SO RARE?
The sun has crossed the "line,"
the days and nights are of about
equal length and from now on for
some three months each day the days
will lengthen and the sun's ray
strengthen. These three months are
usually called the growing season. So
on these bright days of the present
the farmer goes afield with seed and
implement and prepares the soil and
plants for what he hopes will be an
abundant harvest.
Meanwhile we see on every hand,
almost on every countenance, written
in large letters, the real advent of
Spring. Indoors the industrious
housewife is busy with soap and
sand. The Winter stove is taken
down, the Summer curtains are
draped anew, the menfolk come in
to simple meals, perhaps to eat them
from the mantel and anon fall over
stepladders and collide with stove
pipes and buckets of suds, using
language more emphatic than ele
gant. On street and in lane and highway,
in vacant lots and in farrow fields
and greening meadows are to be
heard the notes of the lark, the
thrush and the robin notes of su
preme joy. And. as if keeping com
pany with these . harbingers of
Spring, comes also the cry of the best
and proudest specimens of Young
America "Play Ball!" What a cry
of joy Is that! Every true American
lad big enough to hold the weight of
a catchers' glove or wield a bat over
his head must have ball and bat and
glove and mask and ball suit also
if he. can get them.
Tes, "Spring is come," come in real
earnest, come in beauty, come in joy.
"What," asked the great poet, "is so
rare as a day in June?" How truth
fully we in this glorious Oregon cli
mate can answer: "A day in late
March, such a day as was yesterday,
many yesterdays," averring that
nothing is more rare than an Oregon
day in March.
FOLK HIGH SCHOOLS.
Little Denmark cuts a large figure
in the eyes of the thoughtful world
today because it has done what no
other nation has, though many have
tried. With a poor soil and a small
population Denmark has made agri
culture flourish. At the same time
it has- improved the minds and hearts
of its people. The farmer thrives
there. He finds all the markets he
needs. He is a reader and a student.
He loves art and he takes a continu
ous and intelligent interest in poli
tics. How has all this good work been
accomplished? Partly by thorough
technical education. Denmark has
seen to it that her young people in
the rural districts study agriculture
and has taken measures to help them
apply their technical knowledge. The
government has practiced a fine pa
ternalism toward its rural population
and Is reaping enviable results in in
creased revenues, ardent patriotism
and wonderful national happiness.
But that is not all. '
The Danish people have applied
their own initiative to the rural life
problems. Government aid has not
paralyzed them. It has, on the con
trary, stimulated them to help them
selves. Feeling the need of some
thing imore humane than technical
training, the farmers have established
for themselves a system of schools
which are known far and wide as
folk high schools." Here the "hu
manities" are taught, language, Scan
dinavian literature, history and so on,
branches which appeal to the heart
as much as to the head.
It Is in these schools that the real
nourishment of Danish rural life is
effected. The pupils are of all ages
and both sexes. They enter when they
can and leave when they must. There
are no flummeries of the entrance re
quirement and written examination
sort. A small tuition fee is paid, but
it is not large enough to. keep out any
earnest man or woman. In Winter,
when the schools are most largely
attended, they are much like social
centers, where the finest kind of cul
ture thrives side by side with a beau
tiful and kindly neighborhood life.
We have nothing so much like the
Danish folk high schools as the Chau
tauqua, but unfortunately these cir
cles meet only for a short time in the
Summer and their possibilities for
good are therefore greatly curtailed.
Perhaps the most charming feature
of the Danish folk high schools is
the treatment of the teachers. They
are for the most part men and they
are invariably persons of high cul
ture and exemplary character. Dur
ing the yearsof their service they are
leading members of their communi
ties, taking active part in politics, re
ligion and everything else . worth
while. A house and garden are pro
vided for the folk teacher. He Is
expected to rear a family, to hold his
place permanently and to be a bright
and shining light in the neighborhood.
When old age falls upon him he re
tires with a modest pension, so that
he can preserve his otium cum dig
nitate down even to the grave itself.
How shall we manage to establish
rural schools cf this kind in the
United States, or what shall we build
up to take their places? Perhaps
the growth of the social center idea
will finally make something almost
as useful of the village high school,
but there is still a long road to travel
before we reach' the beautiful con
summation they have found in Den
mark. "
NOT THE REMEDY.
In response to a criticism in The
Oregonian of the amendment propos
ing a primary election on initiative
measures, one of the authors of the
amendment has supplied a revised
draft of the measure. It appears
that the amendment now contains a
provision requiring a filing fee of
$100, the intent being to remunerate
the state for the expense of print
ing, counting ballots and other inci
dental services. The measure now
reads as follows:
Section one of article IV of the consti
tution or the State of Oregon shall be and
the same hereby is amended to read as fol
lows: Section 1. Legislative authority. Style of
bill. Initiative and referendum.
The legislative power of the state shall
be vested in a legislative assembly, but the
people reserve to themselves power to pro
pose laws and amendments to the consti
tution, and to enact or reject same at the
polls, independent of the legislative as
sembly, and also reserves power at their
own option to approve or reject at the polls
any act of the legislative assembly. The
first power reserved by the people is the
initiative,, and a petition of one or more
legal voters with one hundred dollars filing
fee may be filed with tha SeeretArv of
State for the placing upon the ballot at
any primary election held lor tne nominat
ing of candidates or the lntiatlng of laws
or measures. Every such petition filed with
the Secretary of State shall contain the full
text of the law or measure so proposed, and
if eight per cent of the legal voters In
dorse such law or measure at the primaries,
the Secretary of State shall submit such
law or measure to the people at the next
general election for their adoption or re
jection. Tills second power la the refer
endum, and it nitty Tie ordered (except as
to laws necessary for the immediate pres
ervation of the public peace, health or
saiety), citner by petition signed by five
per cent or tne legal voters or by the
legislative assembly. . . . The remain
der of the law continues as at the pres
ent time.
The filing fee possibly disposes of
the objection that the amendment
would burden the state with an op
pressive election cost, but it does not
answer other criticisms. It is to be
presumed that the main purpose of
the amendment is to remove the evil
of paid petitioning. In that it is but
a half way measure. A money-bought
referendum is more damaging gener
ally than a purchased initiative. Yet
the petitions for a referendum may
still be circulated by paid name-so
licitors under the terms of this
amendment.
Moreover, it does not amend the
section of the constitution which con
fers the initiative and referendum
powers upon municipalities. The ini
tiative primary would be held only
on state measures. Abuse of the di
rect system is as prevalent in munic
ipal as in state legislation.
Again, if the constitution be
changed as proposed, there should be
a constitutional guarantee that the
legal voters who have no ticket in
the primaries shall not be deprived
of a right to vote on the initiation
of laws and amendments. As the
amendment stands, an enactment by
the Legislature would be necessary
before opportunity could be extended
to .the Socialists, Prohibitionists and
:n?b
pendents to participate in Initiat
ing state measures.
It is piecemeal legislation. It falls
far short of what is needed as a cor
rection of defects in the system.
A BEAUTIFUL HOPE.
We have Just been reading In one
of the papers an account of the last
days of a wonderful old man. He had
come almost to the limit of human
existence, but his body, although no
longer vigorous, was still free from
pain and his mind retained its clear
activity. Temperance and right living
had made his old age serene. Around
him was gathered a large family, his
own sons and daughters, with their
children. He had earned a compe
tence by honest toil which he would
soon have the satisfaction of dividing
among those who would value his be
quests for love of him rather than
from the lust of gold. Peace and
fidelity had followed him through all
the years of his life. Peacefully and
unflinchingly faithful to his belief in
the sound justice of the world, he was
making him ready to die. He was
like the old man of whom Walt Whit
man sings, hoary with years but hale
and jolly, surrounded by his sons and
his sons" sons, who went, to his grave
like one "who wrapped the drapery
of his couch about him and lay down
to pleasant dreams." James Feni
more Cooper makes Leather Stocking
a hero of this description.
Through all the years of a long life
he met every emergency manfully and
left no duty undone. He dwelt close
to nature, framing his notions of duty
rather by her clear promptings than
by any ecclesiastical formula. His
rule had been always to do, as Carlyle
teaches, the deed that asks to be done
next, never worrying about abstrac
tions, free from superstitious fears.
calmly accepting whatever destiny life
affords. When finally it came Leather
Stocking's turn to die, he faced the
King of Terrors alone on the great
prairie with the clear sun shining
upon his gray hairs and the memories
of his blessed years all about him and
found that the monster was shorn of
his power to terrify. He died as he
had lived, at peace with the world and
confident of the goodness of God. It
is good men who fear least to ap
proach the majesty of the Almighty.
Careless of what creeds may teach
and theologians fancy, they judge of
God's character by their own and find
him wholly sweet and kind. Such
men when they die are like little chil
dren falling asleep on their mother's
breast. There is much for them to
love and trust, nothing for them to
fear. -
For one who has done his best
through life death should have no ter
rors, and whatever future judgment
there may be it cannot disturb his
confidence. He has done justice him
self and he therefore expects justice
from God. As ' Socrates so well
said,, the good God is not likely to
harm a good man, either Here or Here
after. Left to ourselves, none of us
would dread death a great deal at the
end of a well-spent life. Of course
there is always some reluctance to
depart. Nobody resigns this pleasing
anxious being and sets out upon his
Adventures beyond the grave without
some longing, lingering looks behind
and some misgivings, perhaps, as to
what may lie before him.
And as life grows more and more
entertaining we naturally cleave to
It more fondly. Professor Shaler
told in one of his books of a voyage
he took roundabout the Bay of Fundy,
in which he and his scientific com
rades endured extreme hardships. He
says that toward the end of their
trip such had been the effect of pro
longed misery upon them that life
and death had become matters of in
difference. The world seemed for the
moment to have so little to offer that
they were perfectly willing to leave
it. Soldiers subjected to hard discip
line for many months acquire the
same indifference to life. Observers
who have lived softly wonder at their
contempt for death, but it is really i
a sort of world-weariness. When they
return to civil life and taste of ordin
ary comforts for a little while they
become as unwilling to go as any of
the rest of us. The early Christians
weaned themselves from life by sys
tematic cruelty to their bodies. To
such a man" as St. Simeon Stylites
death must have appeared as a wel
come rescuer from suffering. St. Ber
nard, who starved himself for the love
of God and let his face go unwashed
to mortify his sinful pride, could not
have found this world a place to
linger in. No wonder these old saints
sang so eagerly, . "Adieu, vain world,
I'm going home." Earth was but a
station in their pilgrimage, and not
a pleasant one.
But to ordinary men and women
earth is a good deal more than a
caravansary where they stop over
night. -It is a real home and many
believe it is the only home they will
ever possess. Jean Ingelow's heroine
might sing of the land where her
sailor went and the home where "my
nestlings be" with infinite longing to
be up and away, but in spite of poets
and theologians we love old earth and
think of leaving it with keener regret
as it grows more pleasant. For this
world takes on new interest and beau
ty every year. Men grow gentler,
times grow kindlier. Justice con
quers new territory day by day and
brotherly love puts forth new buds
and blossoms. Already poets begin to
see visions and dream dreams of the
coming kingdom. It is Springtime in
the souls of men. Old hopes are res
urrected, old prophecies are coming
true. So we do not want to die. It
is sad' to think of lying in the grave
asleep while so many interesting and
beautiful things are happening over
our heads and therefore some people,
with dauntless courage, affirm that
they will not sleep. They make of
death a friend who opens to them a
wonderful door into new and greater
life. And living there in joys that
we cannot conceive they expect still
to know what happens on the earth
they have left. Is it not a charming
dream?
THE HUMANITIES AT REED.
President Foster, of Reed College,
does not put much faith In the com
fortable precept that "anybody can
do everything if you only give him a
chance." On the contrary, he be
lieves, if we interpret him correctly,
that the human race is sharply di
vided into two classes, those who have
the capacity to lead and those who
must be content to follow. This
seems to be the fundamental thought
in his stimulating article, "Socializing
in the Humanities," which appears in
the current number of the Reed Col
lege Record. Whatever one may
think of Dr. Foster's opinion it runs
counter to an old and highly orthodox
article of American faith. As a peo
ple we have long cherished the no
tion "that any one of us when thrust
into a new situation, no matter how
strange and difficult, would find him
self fully equal to it and there are
many facts which bear us out. The
typical pioneer was a man who could
build his house, plow and cultivate
his fields, serve adequately in public
office and deliver an edifying prayer
or even preach a sermon when the
minister was sick. We like to read
how readily Sherman's men on the
march to the sea did everything that
the exigencies of their wonderful ad
venture asked of them, from tearing
up railroad tracks to building bridges
and baking bread.
' "Versatility has always been our
best National trait, in imagination if
not in reality, and we have never
ceased to be proud of it. It sounds
to many a good patriot like sacrilege
to deny that every boy born in this
country has both the right and the
ability to be President. We began our
career by asserting that all men are
born equal and, as a matter of theory,
at least, we have religiously cleaved
to it ever since. Whether our prac
tice quite chimes with our theory is
another question. Rousseau opened
his "Contrat Social" with the lament
that while all men were born free
be saw them everywhere enslaved.
Jefferson's spirit is perhaps mourn
ing in some other world because,
though men may be born equal, some
develop Into intellectual and financial
princes while others remain serfs.
Theories are always a great deal
more pleasant than facts. It is the
most delightful thing in the world to
sit down in one's study and speculate
upon the innate equality or the innate
freedom of human beings, but unless
we resolutely close our eyes to reality
we are obliged to confess that indi-'
viduals differ as much in their ca
pacities as Caliban and Hamlet.
Taking this for granted, Dr. Foster
maps out two educational schemes,
one for the born leaders, the other
for those who must follow. For the
leaders ho offers an education in
what he calls "the broadly cultural
studies," as a preliminary to technical
training. His ideal college is one
where these branches compose the
bulk of the curriculum. Such a col
lege, he says, "is a beginning school,"
because it prepares, but does not fit,
for active leadership. The fitting
comes later in the law, medical or
theological school. But all through
the graduate's career his thought, his
character and his ambitions will be
strengthened' and uplifted by his
preparation. Sordid statesmanship
has no roots in history and philoso
phy. Sordid theology is the theology;
of ignorant men, who lack culture,
though they may be powerful in the
technics of fanaticism. It is impos
sible to think of Erasmus as a bigot.
though Luther, intensely preoccupied
as he was with dogma, soon became
one.
Jut as -Dr. Foster contrasts the
broadly cultural" with the "narrow
ly cultural" studies, so he sets the
immediately practical over against
the "ultimately practical." No doubt
the great mass of mankind must ap
ply themselves early to practical
studies if they desire any shadow of
success in life. It is not for them
to spend long years in the prelimi
nary storing of mental treasures to be
wrought afterwards into works of art.
Their time for preparation is brief and
it should be turned toward early util
ities. But, as Dr. Foster clearly
points out, there is a choice between
utilities. We may choose those which
yield a. harvest in the middle of the
forenoon and then die or we may
choose those that give results without
too much waiting and continue prof
itable for many years. The latter are
the "ultimately practical" studies.
Dr. Foster has hit upon a fine ad
jective for the branches which delude
us with hasty results and fail when
the real demands of life begin. He
calls them "finishing studies." They
finish the human being at the same
time with his education. They wither
his soul away and dry up his brain.
Vocational education begun too soon
and insisted upon too exclusively
leads into blind alleys. The effect is
like the vision little Alice saw of a.
cational training in its arid excesses
produces a trade with no roan oemna
it. But in a democracy we need men
quite as much as we need trades.
Both are essential. The citizen who
is not prepared to earn an honest
llvlnp l a. rlisastpr In h is country. But
fully as much of a disaster is the
workman who is not qualified to per
form his duties as a citizen. The
"ultimately practical" studies com
bine enough culture with their tech
nical work to train the citizen's mind
equally with his hand. They give
him earning capacity built upon a
sound foundation of brain power.
Schools which-train dull drudges are
not wanted In the United States. Col
leges which should impart brilliant
technic in the professions without in--tellectual
and moral foundations
would be a detriment to the. Nation,
not a help. This is one reason among
many why The Oregonian has always
insisted that cultural studies must be
Included in the curriculum of the
Agricultural College.
Reed College stands for the idea
of "the rounded human being." It
va if -cl-a ara not mistaken, adopted
Eucken's precept that the inner life
is fully as real ana weigniy as tne
outer and that education must not
ignore it. What Dr. Foster means
by "culture" is, we take it, the nour
ishment of the inner life, providing
the man with access to. stores that his
soul may feed upon. But much as we
may value leaders and leadership, we
must not imagine that the princes
alone need to live, the inner life or
acquire a rounded education. When
the leaders have no vision the nations
perish, but what becomes of the na
tions when the people are too blind
and sordid to follow uplifted leader
ship? An analysis by the New York Trib
une of the recent special election in
the Second Iowa Congressional Dis
trict shows the Progressive party to
be wasting away and the Republican
party to be gaining strength in that
as in other states which have had
elections since November, 1912. The
vacancy was caused by s the death of
Irving S. Pepper, a Democrat, who
was elected unopposed in 191". The
Republicans were handicapped at the
special election by the declination of
their candidate and by the necessity
of choosing a new man with only a
few days to make the fight. The
vote was: Democratic, 12.625; Repub
lican, 10,809; Progressive, 3709. The
vote was about two-thirds of the total
vote for President in' 1912 and showed
the Democrats holding their own. The
Progressive vote fell off 50 per cent
from that for Governor and 72 per
cent from that for President. With a
total vote only two-thirds as large the
Republicans gained 30 per cent on the
Taft vote and lost only 10 per cent on
the vote for Governor. The Progres
sives still have the doubtful satisfac
tion of bringing about Democratic vic
tory and Republican defeat. How
much longer will they be content?
There is an old saying that any
real benefit to Ireland is always
thwarted by Irishmen and current
events go far to justify it. The men
of Ulster are so steeped in theological
prejudices that they sacrifice the real
good of the island to the imaginary
good of their souls. Religion has al
ways been a cause of strife in Ireland
and there seems little prospect that
it will ever be anything else. .
The white wife of a San Francisco
Chinaman admits the tragic failure
of the union. Such marriages will
ever end In tragedy unless the wife
can merge herself into the makeup
of the Oriental, which is a hopeless
undertaking. Otherwise their differ
ences arc basic, unalterable, insur
mountable. A big German military balloon
broke away from the soldiers who
were holding the ropes, without any
one being injured. Those German
soldiers are improving wonderfully
It used to be that they didn't know
enough to let go of the ropes when
the balloon went up.
Failing to attract the engine crew
a Tacoma freight conductor was
mangled trying to save a baby from
the path of his backing train. Was
the engine crew dozing all this
time?
President Wilsqn says the atten
tions of minor-officials grow annoy
ing at times. And here these obse
quious menials thought they were
making the hit of their lives.
Governor West refuses to induce
Lieutenant-Colonel Lawson to ans
wer a . Baker grand jury summons.
And West is the man who put the
law in Lawson.
A San Francisco woman lawyer
was so late in court she lost her case.
No doubt she had trouble getting into
one of those new-fangled Spring
suits.
The President confesses that he has
an overwhelming desire to be Just
human. One wouldn't suspect it from
his stand on the tolls question.
Yonny Lind, the American diplo
matic songbird, is about to sing
another of his celebrated falsetto
solos, "Blessed Peace."
, Theosophists want the whole world
to think peace in order to end war.
Up to a late hour General Villa had
not indorsed the plan.
A train robber in Georgia fled
when the conductor pulled the bell
cord. Plainly that robber wasn't of
the Western variety.
The Ulster disturbance is but a
tempest in a teapot. The day when
"minute men" can cope with seas
oned troops is past.
The question is will McAdoo still
hold his present post when he gets
the son-in-law job?
Regiments ' are being rushed to
Ulster. Why doesn't John Bull try
watchful waiting?
Bryan's new adviser is ready for
duty. But what's the use? Bryan's
advice proof.
The struggle for National suffrage
reminds 'us: Have you registered?
..
Villa's pending investment of Tor
reon savors of the press agent.
This is the weather that makes
the auto dealer nmilp.
Spring is rigrht on the job.
Enter the strawberry era.
Gleams Through the Mist
By Dean Collins.
Songs of the Ages.
(As it was in the beginning, is now and
ever shall be.)
The world rolls on and years speed by.
And nations change, 'neath the changeless
sky.
But we love to babble as poets and seers.
Of things that persist through all the years:
When Sprinc rides up on the swallows"
wings.
Sweet as a bird, the poet sings
Of Youth and Love, and Its power traac
That all of the ages may not change.
True perhaps is the poet's claim;
Love songs ever may be the same.
But listen and I shall a song unfold,
That fully as sweet and nigh as old.
And looking back on your mem'rles' shelf
I'll bet It's a song you've sung yourself.
"Aw Paw !
Gimme a nickel to i.uy a ball:
Over yonder the fell.'.rs all
Is choosin' up. and they're join' to play.
Can't I have It? Just one. Paw. Say,
Red's paw gave him a baseball bat.
And he's the captain, jest cause of that.
If I had a brand new ball, you see
That'll maybe make pitcher out of me.
Please. Jest once. Paw. snd honest, true,
1 won't never ask no more from you.
Please Don't you hear tha feliers call
Gimme a nickel to buy a ball
Aw-w-w. Paw!"
I like the song of the endless reign
Of Love, in the poet's Spring refrain.
I like the fancies that they arrange
Round wond'rous things that may nevsr
change;
And oft I have wished my fancy had
A little bit to the list to add.
Of sneet race thoughts that forevermore
The children of men say o'er and o'er;
So list, and 1 shall a song unfoia,
As the lovesong sweet and almost as old.
And looking back on your mem'rles" shelf
I'll bet It's a song you've sung yourself.
"Aw Maw !
Can't I jest co a little bit?
Johnny, he's got a catcher's mitt.
And they're choosin' up. mid they prom-
lsed me
I could be pitcher. And Red's maw, shs
Said he could go! ' Maw, please won't you
Jest let me go, this one time too?
Jest once, and 1 promise, honor bright,
I'll carry the wood all In tonight.
No, I won't get my clothes all dirt!
No, I won't tear my brand new shirt:
Hear 'em yellin to come and play?
Please, let me go fer Jest today!
A w-w Maw!"
"Sir," said the courteous oflce boy,
"the geography teacher asked us today
to name the most Important pass West
of the Rocky Mountains, and
"My son," I replied promptly, "it !
yonder baseball season pass, which you
see sticking out of the Sporting Edi
tor's vest pocket."
"You are more correct than the
teacher," said the n. o. b., and departed
working out a system of strategy
whereby he might gain control of the
pass.
If Kipling Lived in Portland.
The East is the East, and the West Is th
West,
And never the twain shall meet.
As long as there's any minor point
On which they may well compete:
And neither the Kast nor yet tho West
To any conclusion come.
Thau looks like they'll build this jear at
least
That Auditorium.
A man that once begins to borrow
trouble will find that pessimism is the
worst loan shark he ever had to deal
with.
mm
Solemn Thought.
The Spring is here, and weight of woe
Is on my bosom rolled;
For 1 will buy light underwear
And then I'll catch a cold.
mm
Sot-lal Uplift Essay.
The aim of the modern school is to
find out exactly how the juvenile twig
id bent and then, by special vocational
training, to see that its inclination Is
fostered in every way possible. So we
have manual training schools In all
their elaborate departments, short com
mercial courses, etc., etc., as the twigs
are inclined.
Whereupon I rise to say. that the
whole inclination of my earlier school
going childhood was in the direction of
becoming a pirate, an inclination which
was shared by most of my fellows.
And therefore I recomrpend to our
public schools the installation of thor
oughly equipped departments of ele
mentary piracy. These will minister
to tho natural bent of the vast major
ity of intermediate schoolboys, and
may produce, for the glory of the fu
ture generation, a group of distin
guished pirates that will out-Kldd even
Kidd.
The nearest a 10-year-old schoolboy
ever gets to an attitude of real wor
ship is when he kneels down on the
damp ground to "plunk" a marble from
the center of the ring.
m
Passing It On.
Though slim my pursu.
Somehow it glads
My heart to read
The auto ads.
Birmingham Age-Herald.
I read them ere
Sleep steals o'er me.
And all night long
I drive one free.
Boston Transcript.
I scorch along
And pay no toll.
And never hit
A post or pofe.
Rochester Post Express.
And sleeping I
This thought embrace:
There is no mortgage
On my place.
Los Angeles Express.
In fancy I
Ride fast and far.
And pay no tax
Upon my car.
Chicago Record-Herald.
I am not plagued
Nor bored by stops
From constables
And traffic cops.
Approximate History.
53,881 B. C. Editor of the, Neolithic
Gazette slays three Spring: poets for
rhyming "breeze" with "trees." and
eyes" with "skies." Jury of cavemen
acquits him.
43 A D. Publlus Ovid born to th
intense sorrow of all second-year stu
dents of Latin In American high schools
and colleges.
1140 A. D. Total eclipse of the sun
in England elecits no comment froin
the press of the day and is not cabled
to the United States by any internatlon.
al newspaper service.
1470 A. D. War of the Roses kep
the minds of the barons off the high
cost of living.
1775 A. D. Patrick Henry soap-boxes
the expression on "liberty or death,"
which has since become as great a
classical expression as "social Justice"
and "economic determination."
1852, A. D. Asteroid I'hyche, sister t
Albert, who recently disappeared from
the Cosmos, is discovered by astron
omers. 1912 A. D. Woman suffrage in China
becomes a new cause of annoyance to
the anti-suffragists in the United
States.
It' 11 -12-1 3-14 A. D. Situation along
the Mexican border critical.