The Sunday Oregonian., January 21, 1917, SECTION FOUR, Page 9, Image 55

TTTT3 - SUYDAT OREGOXTAX, PORTLAND, JAXTART" 21, 1917.
PUBLIC COMMENTS PRO AND CON ON NEWS OF THE DAY
K
V
SALEM. Or.. Jan. 19. (To the Edi
tor.) Isn't this a queer old world?
I am impelled to the above query
by a chain of events which began along
In - the Infancy of the century just
closed, and which has been added to.
link by link, until the present date.
When the greatest river on the West
ern Cuast of the United States was dis
covered, the word "Oregon" came Into!
prominence. The same name was a
short time later applied to a great ter-
ritory of the Northwest, the population I
of which was slowly, but steadily, be
ing augmented by the addition of In
trepid spirits, who, braving the dan
gers which at that time existed in un
told forms and numbers, plowed
through the "Continuous Woods Where
Rolls the Oregon." and carved out of
the wilderness the foundations for the
peaceful homes and happy, prosperous
communities which are today important
(actors in the political, business and In
dustrial calculations of the country.
When the battle of Ball's Bluff was
(ought. It was Colonel Baker, of Ore
gon, who was almost, if not the first,
officer who gave "the last full measure
of devotion" to the cause which ulti
mately proved the preservation of the
Union.
When the vessels of hostile Spain, in
1898. were held In considerable fear by
United States naval authorities. It was
the grand old "bulldog of the Ameri
can Navy," the "Oregon." that tore
round the southern extremity of the
'Western Hemisphere, maintaining a
peed which had never, tor so long a
time, been equaled, and arrived In time
to be In at the finish of Spanish domi
nation on this half of the globe.
WI)o Uncle Sam asked for volun
teers to fly to the aid of Admiral George
Xewey. In Manila Bay. Oregon re
sponded with a regiment of as good
aoldlers as ever bore the arms of any
country. It was this regiment which,
July 1. 1898. was the first body of
American troops to land In the Philip
pine Islands. - This landing was at
- Ca vite.
Forty-two days later, .when Manila
capitulated, it was this same regiment
that was the first body of American
troops to enter the ancient Bpartlsh
capital of the archipelago, and on Au
gust 13. 1898. Company A. of this same
regiment, furnished the guard of honor
(or the first American riag to fly over
the walls of that city (and may a Su
preme Power forever keep It floating
there).
While It is a slight diversion from
the thread of this story. I am impelled
to a brief description of the event of
the raising of that first flag. When the
Oregon regiment entered the city of
Manila, there was not a breath of air
tirrtng. and as the Oregon men
marched Sp the Luneta, past the flag
of Spain, the old red and yellow banner
hung limp and lifeless around its staff.
No sooner, however, had Lieutenant
Povey (of Oregon) and Flag-Lieutenant
Brumby., of the flagship Olympla.
bent the Star-Spangled Banner onto
the halyards and hauled It to the top
of the staff, than there arose a stiff
breeze which laid ".'Old Glory" straight
out in the tropical air amid the deafen
in;? cheers of American soldiers and
sailors, and the sustained salutes of all
the warships at that time lying In the
harbor.- j
rid we cheer? v
During the flight unpleasantness with
Apruinaldo and his followers, when a
regiment was needed to storm. the ap
parently Impregnnble trenches before
Malabon. it was the Oregon regiment
which was picked from among all the
regular and volunteer troops then In
the islands to put the trick over. Did
thev do it? Read your history.
What state was It that initiated direct
ote. the Initiative and referendum,
and the recall? If we are not misln
(ormed, we must answer. "Oregon."
When there was doubt ; a. . to who
should head the Republican ticket last
Fall, it was Oregon that started the
ball a'rollin' by placing the name of
Charles Evans Hughes to the, fore n
such a manner that his refusal to head
the ticket was impossible and bis nom
ination a foregone conclusion.
At the time the canvass of the" bal
. lots was made a short time later It was
Oregon (almost alone) of all the West
ern States that stood out with a Re
publican majority. She must be a trifle
different.
When Woodrow assumed his 784th
belligerent . attitude, but, being out of
' note paper, asked for troops to go to
the Mexican border and wait watch
tully until the Government Printing
Office could print some more. Oregon
was the first state in the Union to mus
ter In a regiment and answer "ready!"
And. now. the football team of Ore
iron University has upset the plans of a
team from one of the oldest and great,
est universities of the East Pennsyl
. vania. which came across the continent
to demonstrate to the unenlightened
Vest what real football Is.
All of which goes to prove that there
Is abundant reason for the clarification
of the Eastern idea fnat behind every
tree a-id bush In this uncivilized west
. ern frontier there lurks a savage In
dian thirsting for an opportunity to
bury his hatchet In the white phrenol
ogy. or a despermte outlaw cowboy to
drag the unwary white to death at the
end of a lasso. .
Isn't tMs.a queer old world?.
STERILIZATION
19
EXPLAINED
Ignorance Believed Cause (or Unfavor
able Vote la Oregon.
PORTLAND. Jan. 13. (To the Edl
toT There is practically no doubt
that the so-called sterilization law,
which was passed by the Legislature
at us last session and which subse
quently was defeated by the people
through the referendum, failed to re
ceive the indorsement of the people
merely because it was not generally
understood as to what "sterilization" is
and does.
An experiment was performed In. this
city in which 100 persons, who opposed
the bill, were-asked what they thought
sterilization" to be. It brought out
the surprising fact that all except one
of the 100 Individuals hirf a-ro no-
conception regarding it Inasmuch as
another effort is to be made to bring
this principle before the people and
the Legislature. It might be well to
define what sterilization really Is. It
Is not desexualizatlon.
Desexualization and sterilization are
entirely different processes and have
entirely different effects upon the
physical organism. Desexualizatlon
consists In the removal of the repro
ductive glands from male or female, as
the case may be. Removal of these
Stands always inhibits the development
of the body to a certain degree, and
also engenders a nervous condition that
should be accepted only In lieur of
come worse condition, that will per
sist if the alternative of desexualization
is not adopted. Removal of the re
productive glands in either the male or
the femle should receive nothing but
the severest condemnation. In addi
tion to sterilizing the individual, de-
eexualization deprives the individual of
certain Internal se'cretions which are
absolutely necessary to normal devel
opment. Desexualization certainly sterilizes,
but It also does other things which
are decidedly detrimental to the indi
vidual from whom the reproductive
(lands are removed.
It is unfortunate that the misunder
standing was so prevalent, but It
peaks strongly to the credit of the
people that they did reject what they
' Interpreted as desexualization, which
Is indefensible as a means of steriliza
tion. Sterilization does nothing but steril
ize. - No glands are removed from the
body, while all the functions and ln
Uoota oX the body, including those
peculiar to the sex, are left absolutely
unchanged. The eterllized individual
Is not affected In any way whatever
except that be la unable to reproduce
himself because the male or female
germs, necessary to reproduction, are
unable to leave the body. If the in
dividual did not know that he were
sterilized he would be unable to detect
the fact from any change in his ex
perience as compared with that previous
to sterilization.
In the male and in the female there
are two little tubes one for each side
n . L. - I. . ,-! . . .u...... U InV. n u - tti a I
of the body through which the germs
necessary to procreation must pass
after leaving the reproductive glands.
Naturally. If anything closes up these
tubes nothing can pass through them.
Sterilization consists in tying a -ligature
around these tubes, or In severing
them with- a knife. Usually both are
done, because, as the ligature absorbs,
the tubes are liable to become restored.
In the male It Is a very simple process
and can be done without pain under
a local anesthetic. In the female the
process Is not quite so simple, because
the tubes lie inside the abdomen In
stead of merely under the skin, as In
the male. However, under the condi
tions surrounding modern surgery awe
of the process need be no handicap to
the application of the underlying prin
ciple. These few suggestions hare been of
fered, not with the Intention of urg
ing any line of action upon any In
dividual, but merely that those who
either favor or oppose the adoption of
sterilization as a means of protecting
the future from the grosser forma of
sea perversion and feeble-mlndednesa,
whtch are Incurable and hereditary,
may understand what sterilization Is
when they express their opinion
through the ballot. ,,,,-
J. ALLEN GILBERT.
BOTS AGAIN ARB ACCUSED
Principal's Reply That Wind Tore Up
Flag Is Disputed.
PORTLAND, Jan. 19. .To the Edi
tor.) Some weeks ago a patriotic citi
zen called the attention of The Ore
gonlan to the desecration of a school
(lag by schoolboys. In reply came an
epistle by H. E. Sherwood, "principal of
the Stephens School. Stripped of Us de
nunciatory elements Principal Sher
wood's letter Is an unqualified conten
tion that a playful, prankish wind had
tern and plaited the flag, and not
school boys. Has It come to such a
pass In this city that to show any zeal
for the honor of our flag Is to invite
attack and persecution?
The writer pf that letter Is great
granddaughter of a soldier of the war
of the American Independence. She was
a babe In her mother's arms when her
father answared President Lincoln's
first call for volunteers. The first
blood shed by the volunteer troops of
the Civil War was shed by the Massa
chusetts troops. What wonder that-thls
woman regards the flag so baptized, so
dedicated as a sacred symbol, its honor
to be Jealously guarded. What mem
ories cluster about that flag as her
eyes rest upon it. among them the rec
ollection of the very first time she
ever saw her own father, in 1865. at
President Lincoln's second inaugura
tion. But should not we all regard the flag
with equal solicitude and veneration?
The flag represents the shedding of
blood, the flag represents sacrifice, it
represents more. The American flag Is
the material symbol of the divine Dec
laration of Independence upon which
ours of July 4, 1776. Is founded. In Its
folds we see outplctured the glad tid
ings of Individual liberty, which from
first to last formed the theme of the
Christ's teaching. It formed the theme
of his first recorded discourse. Its em
phatic statement- was one of his last
recorded utterances "To this end was
1 born and for this cause came I Into
the world, that I should bear witness
unto the truth" liberating r.ruth. for.
"Ye shall know the truth and the truth
shall make you free."
God has signally honored this nation
bv making it his chosen repository of
this divine ideal of humanity. But ces
sation of growth Is the beginning of
disintegration, and If greed and self
seeking and oppression are to supplant
the Ideals our flag symbolize our Na
tional death Is but a matter of time.
Of the enation God chooses to bear his
scepter be demands "Be ye clean tnat
bear the vessels of the Lord.
The school principals who have in
terested themselves In the mutiiateo
flae am Quite sure the wind tore and
plaited It (1) because other Portland
school flags have been similarly man
gled. (2) because no human hands coum
have so Inextricably knotted and tan-
gled the toVn fragments of the flag, for.!
since wind will drive a straw through
a board wind is the only agency that
could have reduced the flag to its
present pitiable plight.
Furthermore, the boys reported to
the principal that the clothes on their
mothers' lines were most" remarkably
knotted and tangled on that Very day;
(3) many of the eighth grade B boys
are Boy Scouts and would neither tear
and plait the flag nor permit it to be
done.
I frankly told the school principal
who offered these reasons to me that
.hese reasons did not appear to be con
clusive proof, much as we wouia iiae to
be convinced, for (1) a woman saw the
flag torn into strips and plaited and
was told by the janitor, I believe, that
It was the work of the boys: (2) school
boys openly talked on the street and In
the stores as they bought candy, etc.,
telling how the boys slit up the flag
with their pocket knives and plaited It,
further telling that the principal had
called all the boys Into the assembly
hall and urged the guilty ones to con
fess, for he was pretty sure who were
the culprits; (3) a business man of the
immediate neighborhood offered to se
cure money to hire a detective, but the
principal of the school refused the of
fer on the ground that the desecration
of the flag was the thoughtless act of
children too young to understand the
nature of their offense, or words to
that effect: (4) pupils with whom I
personally talked told me that ft num
ber of school children had watched the
eighth grade B boys as they tore up
the flag, my informants among the
number. The principal of the school
told me he would pay these pupils 110
If they would tell who did it.
, This is too serious a matter for
whitewash or for browbeating. Other
Portland school flags have been mys
teriously mutilated. Due to the spirit
of fear and Intimidation permeating
our city school system It Is not easy
now to arrive at the facta. But surely
there, Is enough patriotism and love of
truth in Portland to accomplish the
task. MARION B. CLEVELAND.
PORTLAND LIKE OTHER CITIES
Prosperity Elsewhere Dwindles When
All Is Summed I'd.
PORTLAND. Jan. 20. (To the Ore
gonian.) It Is easy for people to think
they are In the worst portion of the
country and to proclaim it from the
houseetops, but confidential talks with
persons from other parts and visits to
different localities indicate that there
is not such a great contrast after all.
The great prosperity reported In some
sections dwindles to a remarkable ex
tent when all is summed up; and after
all is said, the places that are especially
favored, as well as a fair amount of
activity in business lines over a greater
part of the Nation, is absolutely due to
the war. either directly or Indirectly;
and the result of the munitions, food
stuffs and various kinds of other sup
plies furnished by us to the allies.
A talk a few days ago with parties
from Chicago Indicated that conditions
' Uiero are lax Iroxa ideal. notwiuisLand
Ing Its advantages in the manner men
tioned above.
A trip to Spokane and vicinity of
nearly two weeks' duration shows con
ditions prevailing there to be much the
same as here, though perhaps a Utile
better than ours, owing to local rea-
j has been considerable activity in the
way or street improvement, bridge
building across the Spokane River and
neighboring gulohes, and track laying
by transit companies. The result has
been to give much employment and
enpnHino' mstnAV t n t V, lahnrins man
spending money to the laboring man,
such as was the case In our own city
when the hard times first broke and
we were the last to feel the financial
pinch a short time after the policies
of the present Administration were put
into force. Spokane Is also greatly
benefited by Its proximity to the mines
of Idaho and Montana, Eastern Wash
ington and British Columbia, aa well as
the wheat fields of a part of these re
gions. These advantages? however, were be
ing effset by our new shipbuilding In
dustry, until the present strike put a
crimp in our brighter prospects; and
always, of course, we have water com
merce that the Eastern Washington
metropolis does not have. Good crops
the last year or two. together with the
war prices have been a boon to the
farmers, and consequently the business
men of our neighborhood. However,
there was more than usual refraining
from holiday purchasing. Santa Claus
was not so liberal aa four or five' years
ago. and trading rs at a low ebb now
That Is the way matters stand with
our neighbor we nave Democratic
hard times, plus an enormous blood
priced, war-employed activity, that
will leave us on the rocks the moment
the war closes (as ts Instanced by the
meteoric fall In stocks, bonds and
wheat the moment there Is peace talk)
unless we go to manufacturing on a
much larger scale for ourselves along
peaceful lines Instead of as we are do
ing to promote misery to the human
race and an accessory to the present
wholesale murder.
What Is true of the 6pokane country
and -the farming region In this vicin
ity Is true all over the United Slates.
We are raising grain, stock and all such
necessities In profusion, but we are
not manufacturing In any reasonable
quantity, though we have the oppor
tunity we never have had before.
It remains to be seen whether the
President and the Democratic party
will rise to the occasion, even at the
expense of their pride. They have al
ready gone part way on the tariff ques
tion. Will they go the remainder and
save final humiliation? There should
be a strong demand that something be
done before peace, with- Its accompany
ing financial crash to ourselves (If we
are unprepared for It), comes. We re
jected the surest preventive against dis
aster election day. What next?
There l no good reason why we
should not now hive the most proper
ous times, financially, we ever had. a4
long as we are willing, as mentioned
above, to dip our hands Into the blood
of Europe. Our Government snuuia
be borrowing money, and no man should
be out of a Job because he cannot get
one near his own home. It might be
added, too. that we should have no
strike in Portland at a time when work
is needed lorauch.
HIGH XIII BUTE PAID G. H. H1ME8
Hesiry L. TallslnBrton Saye Records of
State Should Be Treasured.
LEW1STON.' Idaho, Jan. 16. (To the
Editor.) Please allow me space to
speak a few words of commendation of
the work of George H. Hiraes. assistant
secretary and curator of the Oregon
Historical Association. .
1 have known Mr. Himes for 25 years.
He is a man of broad general educa
tion, wide reading and almost cyclo
pedic knowledge of the history of the
Northwest coupled with a memory of
almost mathematical exactness.
His field Is Old Oregon, embracing
the states of Oregon, Washington and
Idaho and In this field he recognizes
no state boundary lines. For the last
18 years I have been at Lewtston,
Idaho. 600 miles distant from the seat
of his labors, yet I have written htm
repeatedly for information In connec
tion with my work and have as re
peatedly received full and satisfactory
answers.
But before speaking of his work per
mit me to make the following obser
vations. First This Is an age of historic
mlndedness and methods. No one would
think of Investing In lumber mills,
reclamation projects, orchard tracts or
sugar beet factories without first in
vesticratinz the history of these enter-
Drises. The best business men pride
themselves on up-to-date methods
which Implies a knowledge of methods
of the past- The doctor In diagnosing
your case wants the family history for
two or three generations back. i ne
to I
lawyer cites numerous precedents
show how cases like his have' been de
cided at onther times and places? The
engineer who builds highways flrst
learns what has been done In construc
tion of highways elsewhere . that he
may profit by this experience. The
teacher whose methods are not up to
date is seeking another position.
Second The schools, too, are making
a large use of what may be termed
"sense" material, that Is, concrete
things. The child has Its sand table in
the study of geography, plants in its
study of nature, manual training and
domestic science, all of which admit
of the senses both in the acquirement
of knowledge and in Its expression and
the history teacher must profit by the
example set In these departments.
Third This is' also an age when
"type" work In history is being more
and more done. It is recognized that
one does not have to know all the facts
of iistory from the Garden of Eden to
the things mentioned in the morning
paper, because one type is Just like any
number of others of the same kind. The
house in which Lincoln's boyhood was
spent not long ago was acquired for a
public use in order that it might be
preserved as a memorial to that great
man, yet there Is nothing striking or
peculiar about that house, it being a
typical log house of a pioneer that
could be duplicated anywhere on the
Atlantic or Pacific Coast or in the Mid
dle West in thousands of places. The
same might be said to be true of the
fsrniture. the cooking utensils, the
food, the clothing, the rarra Imple
ments. We no longer study the history
of the 13 colonies but take two or three
types. One Indian War In its causes,
conduct and results Is In the main like
a hundred others, so we may find types
of life everywhere both In this coun
try and age as well as In other coun
tries and ages.
v Fourth This Is an age, too. when we
want "raw. red blooded" material, orig
inal sdwrces. We have grown tired of
memorizing what somebody said of
something or someone. We want to do
our own thinking "malted" history Is
becoming a thing of the past. We want
contemporary evidence of the things
which we study.
Judired from any or all of these
standpoints the collection which Mr.
Himes has made during his 30 or 40
years' work, representing every phase
of human activity. Is almost Invaluable
to the student of Northwest history.
He has hundreds of specimens of
cooking utensils, household furniture.
wearing apparel, farm Implements, fire
arms, etc.. thousands of letters, diaries,
reports, books, etc.. and 200.000 news
papers. What he needs, and needs bad
ly, is a fireproof building, with room
that all of this vast material may be
properly classified and displayed wlt
filing cases, vaults, etc-, in which much
of It may be kept.
The State of Oregon can do nothing
that will be of more service to It in
coming generations than to provide
such facilities.
One shudders to think what an Irre
parable loss to the entire Northwest
abouid a fire occur In this building In
which- these things are at present
stored. Not only In the articles that it
has taken years to collect and could
never be replaced, but In the general
Interest In making' such collections.
This represents the work of a board of
directors which has labored conllnu-
ously and without pay: of a Historical
Quarterly that has for a quarter of
century furthered the cause of. this in
stitution; of friends who have given
and loaned valuable family heirlooms
of all kinds, and such a loss, aa a ftre.
would entail distrust and discourage
ment that It would take a generation
to outlive. -
HENRY L. TALK INGTON.
Head of Department of History and
Civics, State Normal, Lewtston, Idaho.
STRIKE) CRITICS TAKEN TO TASK
Edgar W. Stahl Give Side ( Union
Labor In Controversy.
PORTLAND, Jan. 20. (To the Ed
itor.) we are Informed by the daily
press that several clubs have con
demned the strike In the shipbuilding
yards or have resolved In Tavor of the
"open shop." This after "Investigation."
I cannot help but wonder as to the
scope of the so-called Investigation. Do
they know condition and objects of all
parties concerned, or have they merely
heard one side of the story and based
their actions thereon? Are their opin
ions uaLlased. results of thorough re
search. understanding and purely un
selfish? The objects of labor organizations
are many. Not only do they ask
for a living wage, humane working
conditions and reasonable hours of toil
for their own members, but they are
making-mighty efforts for better con
ditions for those outside the ranks of
labor unions. They have old-age pen
sions, sick and burial funds, homes' for
aged members. provisions whereby
aged members are permitted to work
for less than the re guise, scale of
wages. Union labor has worked hard
and with appreciable success for the
abridgment of child labor; has been a
mighty force in the work of limiting
the hours of toll for women ana se
curing for them a wage sufficient for
at least food and shelter without sell
ing their bodies and blackening their
souls.
As to the "open" or "closed" shop:
No competent workman Is Ineligible to
a union of members of his craft. True,
closed shop means join a union and
thereby assist, in the work of uplift of
the toiling masses; help with the work
of providing for children and families
of members bereft or victims of acci
dent or disease. The small amount of
dues required is a profitable investment
and eventually Is fruitful of large
returns. Closed shop does not mean
work for nnlv the nrl vilee-ett. hut mean
hn nrhn nrV nA ih. h. ti t . !
of efforts made bv unselfish men and
women who have devoted time and
money for the betterment of the labor
ing class, must help bear the burden of
uplift; must put a shoulder to the
wheel and help boost the laborer to a
higher social level, shaking off the
chains of serfdom, enabling him to
stand before the world unashamed of
his calloused hands, begrimed face,
bent body and mighty muscles devel
oped by hours of toll. The closed
shop principle keeps no competent la
borer out of work.
Would It be better for a community
to have a large area, made hideous by
hundreds of unsightly shacks, un
palnted. ill-kept. Inhabited by poor. Ill
clad, half-fed families of underpaid,
overworked laborers, no time for home
or improvement; small consumers with
doubtful credit, living from hand to
mouth: or would the Merchants' Club
prefer a happy, contented, prosperous
community of working people, well
paid, working hours that permit of at
least a brief "lslt to merchants" places
of business, buying and paying for pur
chases with money honestly earned,
helping by their patronage to build up
the business Interests of the city?
Is not one well-paid, prosperous la
borer a better adjunct to a community
than five poor, miserable workers with
no money, little time but to work,
purchasing power limited to the utmost
economy, no credit in fact. Just
dwellers?
1 ask the merchant, would you pre
fer that the visitor to your store be a
purchaser with the cash or good credit
or a solicitor for alms for the families
of poor workmen during the dull sea
son of trade? Would you rather dig
down In your pockets to assist the
widow and orphan or stand back of
the men whx Insist their fellow work
men build up a fund to provide, relief
for bereft ones? Do you prefer, the.
"potter's-field" principle of that which
provides a decent burial for deceased
laborers? Would you prefer to help
support a home for the aged poor or
pat the men 'on the back who Insist
their brother laborers help provide
iiuiiicb tor i ii c of;rn ui Lut-ir ai c i
Would you prefer that the earnings of
great Industry go to one or a few
Individuals or a Just proporitlon be
divided among the men whose brain.
brawn and muscle make possible the
success of the undertaking?'
Union men are not, as a body, un
reasonable. The prosperity of the em
ployer Is. or should be, their prosperity;
his Interests their Interests. There are
radicals on both sides of the question
of capital and labor, but the day of
the radical is waning. Conservatism
must prevail. Therefore, I would ask
the' lay citizen who has the Interests
of Portland at heart to look Into the
matter from all standpoints before sub
scribing to resolutions or expressing
opinions which might help to make this
city a community of many people, but
with all purchasing power concentrated
In the hands of the few, while the
many must subsist on the merest nec
essaries and perhaps be objects of char
ity during portions of each year. -
EDGAR W. STAHL.
WORK
OF
S BAKERS
PRAISED
Woman Well Acquainted With Sect
Telia of Much Good Done.
PORTLAND. Jan. 20. (To 'the Ed
ltor.) I was much pleased with your
Interesting article on, the decadence
of the Shakers. Especially since It
was my privilege as- a child to be
rather Intimately acquainted wltb
those of the. Harvard Colony.
Ayer. formerly the southern part of
Groton. Mass.. where 1 was born and
spent my early youth, -seems to have
been the center of a section to which
inspired leaders have been drawn.
Sbadrach Ireland brought his queer
creed to Harvard adjoining on the
east. Later the Shakers settled there.
Broneon Alcott and some - Englisb
mystics founded the short-lived Fruit
land Colony, made famous as the home
of Little ' Women, in SUllriver at the
south.
There was another colony of Shak
ers west of us In Shirley, and the Mll
lerites chose the northern part of Gro
ton as their abiding place while await
ing the second coming of Christ.
Many of the Shakers used to come
to my father's office, 'here I spent
most of my waking time, and I grew
to love them very dearly. On rare,
red-letter days, when the smooth
faced brother with his broad-brimmed
hat came to town for .the morning
mall. I was allowed to accompany him
on hla return to the Shaker village
and stay until someone drove back to
meet the evening train. '
I wish 1 could paint' those rolling
hills and green meadows, the dark
woodlands and fertile! fields of the
farms with the large. (Iain houses and
the barns brimming or with hay: the
6 jfers with, their closeVaps and broad.
white collars and atraigbt falling, soft-
colored dresses, flitting ' about like
white-throated doves and the peace
that brooded over elL
If the morning was cold there was
sure to be a fire In a soapstoue heal
ing stove to warm chilly little fingers
and toes. Then 1 must feed the chick
ens and turkeys, ducks and geese, and
find the dearest lambs and calves and
colts and funny little grunting pigs I
ever saw. And always one or. more of
the dear sisters to guide me wherever
I wished to go.
In Summer I used to wander In the
great garden, where they raised seed
for market. I never smell clove pinks
even yet that I lo not see a sister In
her long bonnet beside me In that en
chanted place of flowering sweetness.
I remember the immaculate cleanli
ness of everything, the big. spotless
kitchen and storerooms; the shelves
loaded down with preserves; the Jama
In bottles sealed with melted rosin;
the home-made wine, which Sister
Mary Bobbins once let me taste; the
big loaves of bread, both white and
brown; the cake and pies and Shaker
apple sauce and ambrosia, concocted
from the refined essences of all the
seasons combined.
I was supposed to kiss each slstenl
Once I skipped a very old one and 'It
troubled my conscience later When the
time came to go the sisters would
bundle a very tired but happy little
girl, wltb an assortment of wonderful
pincushions and perhaps a tiny basket,
or rurkey-f eatber fan or Jar of Jam.
and on one never-to-be-forgotten oc
casion a real live, brown speckled hen
wltb a topknot In beside Elder Simon
Atherton or maybe Elijah Myrlck and
behind the fat old horse we would Jog
back to Ayer.
I mill have a pincushion, the in
tegral parts of which were the of
fering of some stater long ago, though
the covering has been renewed many
times.
the meetings I attended they used to
march shaking and clapping their
hands In time to their singing.
As to their origin: Jean Cavalier, a
leader of the Comrisards. one or the
sects that sprang up after the revok
ing of the edict of Nantes by Louis
XIV In 1685, escaped to England.
Among those who were Influenced by
his teachings were James Wardley and
his wife, both Quakers, who left the
Society of Frlendaand began to teach
the second coming of Christ, Ann
Lee, born In 1736, the daughter of a
blacksmith, herself a worker In a cot
tonmtll. became first their convert,
then their leader, and was finally ac
knowledged the mother into whom the
Christ spirit -had entered. - As Christ
had
been the irascullDe embodiment it
was claimed tiiat in the second com
ing woman would be chosen.
After enduring great persecution
both In England and America Mother
Ann. as she was called, founded sev
eral colonies of herysect, among them
the one at Harvard In 1781. bne uieu
at the age of 48.
The Shakers practise the non-resistance
of evil, self-denial. Industry,
frugality, cleanliness and celibacy.
They have the first family house,
which Is for probationers; the second
or central family house, which Is an
advancement from the first, and the
church family house, to which all sin
cere converts aspire. The ministry,
composed of two elder brethren and
two elder sisters, rule the society.
I never in all my life heard a dis
paraging word said of the Shakers by
anyone who knew them. The fact that
produce or manufactures came from
them was a guaranty of their worth.
Besides receiving world-weary adults
they used to take homeless boys ami
girls, bringing them up and. training
them to work. But since so many
other religions and public Institutions
have been established their numbers
have decreased.
In the delightful book by Clara En
dlcott Sears a sister Is quoted as say
ing "Nothing that is gone before is
lost. Tl--e spirit has Its periods of
moving beneath the surface." In ad
dition to the changes caused by hy
bridization, conditions of soil, climate
and culture may cause many variations
in plants coming from the same seed
vessel. Personally the writer believes
that the greatest religious and moral
uprisings during the last part of the
19th century came from or were
greatly Influenced by the tenets of the
Shakers.
I think you remarked that their
lands In Kentucky had been turned
over to the state. On the Shaker hold
ings In Shirley. Mass.. Is a reformatory
for boys. Undoubtedly all the worldly
possessions accumulated through the
self-sacrificing efforts of those people
ultimately will go to benefit the com
munities In which the? lived.
Be that as It may. It Is Interesting
to know that Tabltha Babbitt, a Har
vard Shaker, gave the Idea of the cut
nail and the buzz saw to the world;
that the Shakers recognized the fem
inine element, and that to Mother Ann
Lee the founder of Shakerlsm, belongs
the honor of being the first great
woman leader In America.
SARAH HINDS WILDER.
WAR PLANS LHXAD TO WAR
World In Making Is Looking (or Fed
eration of Natlona.
UNIVERSITY PARK. Jan. 20. (To
the Editor.) As long as nations deem
war a biological necessity they, will
engage in deadly struggle. Belief in
the necessity of military preparation
and standing armies conduce toward
the same result. Emphasis on a spuri
ous nationalism will shut the eye on
the worth of Internationalism. The
matter of honor Is overdone, hence dec
laration of war. .. Honor has kept alive
dueling, but when Abraham Lincoln
came out to meet a challenger with
ludicrous weapons, he thought aa much
of the gentleman's sense of honor as he
thought of the necessity or our "Na
tional honor making ,us ready to fly
at Mexico In a war condemned by the
Generals who led our forces against
the Mexicans. True, we won a large
territory, but what about the .ethics of
the transaction? The more Importance
we may place on the manner of get
ting things than their distribution. -
Large gifts to this and that do not
atone for colossal theft called eariv
tng When one nation goes into wat
with another, other nations Join one
side or the other. They do not learn
good ethics from the school they enter,
but .they' bate the opposition, and wish
all kinds af calamity to fal on their
war develop courage? Tes, of
the trerves. But courage may be devel
oped .by the pursuits of peace. It takes
more cotrra.ge to face an unjust accu
sation .and ' persistent belittling of our
selves by -others than to charge guns
and forta. -
The great activities that kill lethargy
are found In peace by helping the un
employed, and removing diseases that
pierce the vitals of society.
True, the Old Testament contains
records af war, which records are not
selected for devotional readirigs. but
did not God rdrbld David's making the
temple because he was a man of war?
Too much we have put soldiers above
farmers, and guns above plows. But
we. have also the New Testament in
our Bible, and from it we learn to con
ceal the sword, for the man of Naza
reth is not a war Lord, but the Prince
of Peace.
The most of. the ware of time have
Amonv th Shakers were neonle of 7,1 T" " " l
. w k,ir, i,-in-. . j ' ,nB pioneer as well as the more recent tue tactions In violation of the paciflo
it V? .!" iolf f M.Tnr.Mr f-m history of Oregon. He wae one of the and neutral principles of our country!
l . T.rl .ni . tm.Viea I neVS Ch'Ce "nd lm"-a citlsena of pioneer I have asked th, circulating l?br-T. laS
llles in England and America I never oay. Mr -cral wa an arden, and on that floor If those books were pro
saw any revivals with prophesying and loval patPlo, a frtend and adTnlrer of ,eted. , waa ,old thatD Zlrl plIZ
paroxysms of shaking, such aa i gave Abraham L,ncoln, wlth whom he waa chased. In evidence of that statement
tkem their name In the beginning. In .r.i.i. . h ,v. I m -.... . ."A "":"""
been uncalled for. and while we may
blame one side In this European wai
for its start more than the other, yet
both sides are to blame. England
could have treated the American colo
nies decently without making us fight
for separation. She could have held
us until witling to let us go by our
selves aa she would be willing for Can
ada to do. The evolution of society I
to drop out savagery and to let In the
Christ to be.
The world In the making Is looking
for the federation of nations to pre
serve peace. Into this federation the
natlona staggering under war debts,
some of which have been carried for
long periods, are anxious to come for
shelter. The past Is not to guide us.
Things can take place which have not
occurred. There are other lamps than
that of experience which mankind can
UBhU B. J. HOADLET. :
TRIBtTTB 13 PAID TO MEMORY
Late David W. Craig Eulogised by P.
II. D'Arcy.
SALEM, Jan. 19. (To the Editor.)
While we were absent from Salem
during the past few weeks there passed
away a pioneer resident of our city and
state and one who took a prominent
part in the history ot Oregon, David W
Craig. He occupied a conspicuous place
In our pioneer settlement. Of all the
brilliant and notable characters who
came to this section In the days when
t was difficult to reach here, not one
of them wae his superior In literary
and Intellectual attainments. Deprived
on account of circumstances and en
vironment of the advantages of the
schools In bis younger days, by his In
domitable will and persistence he ac
quired a literary knowledge unsur
passed by any of his contemporaries.
The welfare of the Nation and this
state wae the special object of his pri
vate and public life. His reputstlon
and character form a striking part of
he imbibed the spirit of his splendid
patriotism. He was at all times true
to his friends, honor and Integrity be
ing his eminent characteristic When
the political future of his beloved Ore
gon was threatened by designing and
unscrupulous politicians, his voice and
pen were constantly devoted to the
Union cause.
My acquaintance with htm extended
over many years' and the Intense ad
miration I had for him began when we
were associates In his own printing
office. In later years that admiration
and good opinion, formed when a boy,
never changed. He lived a- long and
useful life, without pretnnse. and was
a firm believer In all that tends to en
noble and sanctify humanity.
Mr. Craig's modesty and retiring na
ture pr' vented him from occupying
many public places In the history ot
our state. He would not contend or
struggle for office. His was a character
thai would not cringe or fawn for
power. He was free from the arts and
trickery of the demagogue. He did not
assume a knowledge of matters of
which he was wholly ignorant. His ex
cellent and manly qualities appealed to
an wno bad a proper renpect for the
best trmt Is In this world. He lived
the simple life In every way. He waa a
devoted husband, good, kind and In
dulgent parent. It wae an Interesting
event for one to visit him at his home
and observe him surrounded by his
books the classics being his dearest
and favorite companions. He was a
veritable encyclopedia of facts and fig
ures. Free from guile and deception,
he resided In our midst respected and
honored by alL Hie life was one that
could well be emulated by the citlsena
of our state.
My vivid remembrance of his many
acta of kindness, a well as his lofty
Ideals, prompt me to offer this lmper-
leci iriDuir to nis memory. Of our
departed friend and neighbor It can be
truthfully saldu
"His life was gentle; and the elements
So mixed In him that nature might
stand up
And say to all the world. Thie waa a
- man.' " . P. H. DARCY.
GOVERNMENT IS GETTING DATA.
Reports on Sinking ef Ships Are
Awaited Before Protesting.
PORTLAND, Jan. 20. (To the Edi
tor.) Since the sinking of the Lual
tanla, followed by a train of similar
happenings, there has been much dis
cussion In diplomatic circles regarding
the rights and liabilities of Germany
in each case.
Some weeks ago the Chemung was
torpedoed and sunk. At the same time
It was reported In the daily press that
she was an American vessel flying the
American flag, commanded by an Amer
ican captain, and carrying In large
part an American ortw. It waa further
stated she had no contraband cargo
of any nature on board.
It would seem that here waa a case
over which there could be no argument.
Since the sinking was recorded I have
failed to see a single reference to the
case In any paper. It does not appear
that Mr. Wilson has ever written a
note about It. READER.
The version of the affair given by
the captain of the Chemung to the As
sociated Press was not published un
til December 6. and the Government has
probably not had time to obtain offi
cial reports from both the captain and
the German government. It has await
ed such Information before taking dip
lomatic" action In former cases. From
a Washington dispatch It appears that
the Chemung case Is being considered
together with the similar cases of the
Marina and Arabic
BOOKS ON WAR ARB CRITICISED
Visitor a
t Library Finds Anti-German
Literature on Sbelven, -
PORTLAND. Jan. 19. (To the Edi
tor.) As a frequent sojourner at the
Portland Public Library: It appears to
me as most striking and remarkable to
find there for the perusal of the public
books with such titles: "Fighting in
Flanders," by E. A. .Powell, self-accredited
war correspondent of the New
York World; "Germany's Violation of
the Laws of War," and other books of
the same character, telling tales of
atrocious crimes being committed by
the German soldiery.
The tales therein related are of such
revolting nature and appear so unrea
sonable that they are most repulsive to
the unaware and sensitive reader, but.
as It appears, with the ulterior motive
of bitter feelings In this country.
Mr. Powell in blsbook relates what
precipitated "the night of horror In
Aershot." He says that after the Ger
man troops had occupied the place, the
chief of staff and some officers being
asked to dine with the burgomaster ot
the town, and the commanding officer
partaking too much of wine informed
the burgomaster that he intended to
pass the night with his young and
beautiful daughter, whereupon the
girl's 15-year-old brother, to avenge
the insulted honor of bis sister entered
the room armed with a carbine, killed
the officer and that act served as a
provocation and motive of the Germans
to sack the town and murder its In
nocent citizens, and in order to dis
patch the execution, as the firing
.'quad could not do the work quick
enough, the victims were lined up and
a machine gun was turned upon them.
He recites what be heard from trust
worthy eye witnesses that young girls
i - - ...... , ... .iv. mow hid uuw.iun in ine nam ar
were dragged from their bomes and
stripped and mistreated - by many sol
diers In the public squares in the '
presence of officers; that both men and . "
women were mutilated and children -were
bayoneted, dwellings were ran- "
-tacked and looted He tells a similar- -;ale
of the burning and sacking of t
Louvain. . ' ,.
In another occurrence he relates-
where, as' the guest of the commander "
of the ninth German , army, bis pho- X
tographer, Thompson, was telling of ;
the prowess and marksmanship of the
American gunners To aVw them what "
the Germans could do thj commander I
had stopped a platoon of artillerists that J
was marching by. ordering them to ;
take a shot at an old windmill three
miles away, with Its large sails revolv-
Ing In the morning breeze, and In a,' '.
wanton way wrecked the building, de- ;
atroytng property of Innocent people ;
with only the apparent motive of grat- -Ifylng
his cruel pride.
The other books of that kind I have
come In contact with relate similar
charges of wholesale depredation, ra-
pine and murder, putting Germany In -duress
as the parlab of nations. Wo
have read In the public press of accu- "
satlons of Infractions against tb rules .
of warfare and the denials and refuta
tions of such charges from both sides
of the belligerents, and the people o(
the neutral countries become more or "
less skeptical of such sensational re- -ports
instigated by hatred and revenge, i
It la not my Intention to challenge or -refute
those charges Let the frugality. -.
the aober. temperament, the high atan- i
dard of citizenship of Americans ot :
German extractions stand aa sponsor of L
the humanitarian Ideals of their kin- -dred
In the fatherland. But why should
such books written by persons of -biased
minds and frenzied by hatred
and passing their snap judgment adorn ;
the shelves of our public libraries when -they
neither have historical nor educa- -tional
value? They can only have A '
tendency to Incite race hatred and di- -
vide our peaceable population into hot.
fairness and decency. Whv were those "
books purchased at the general ex- t
pense of the taxpayers who possess -different
and conflicting sentiments on "
the European struggle?
, A, BENSCHEIDT. .
NEW T1CH SOLUTION OFFERED "
Law e Prevfde Name (or Illegitimate
Children Favored.
DALLAS, Or.. Jan. 19. (To the Edi
tor.) Miss Anna V. Rice, of New York,
in addressing the members of the Port
land Y. W. C. A, after urging "deeds,
nut words, bad the follow tug to say:
"The time Is near at, hand when we
must take a hand - In the prevention
of commercialized te." As she was
discussing the moral protection of
girls, the writer assumes that Miss
Rice by the term "commercialized vice"
refers to prostitution. On page 11 of
The Oregonlan In which Miss Rice's
remarks are given, under the heading
"Miss Burcb at Work." appears a se
quel to the story of a ruined mother,
an illegitimate child, a slightly wound
ed "father." The flrst question that
naurail- arises concerns the relation
that these two stories buir to each
other. ,
In the humble opinion of the writer
there are many problems that need so-
lutlon much more than- "commercial- ?
ized vice." and one of them Is lllus- '
trated by the story of Mlss 'Burch: a..;
story of which duplicates are growing J
so rapidly that Intelligent civilization
might well be alarmed. We have bad
our waves of moral reform, leading to
the abolition of the saloon in this and '
many other states: to the abolition of -open
gambling, and to the abolition in ;
many of the large cities of the "segre
gated districts." As to the last reform, ,
grave questions, may arise as to Its ad
visability, though unquestionably In
the character of the same as they ex
isted In this country abolition was
Inevitable. The Increasing number of
"white slavery" cases and the rank
criminal hotch-pots maintained there
in made tbelr existence an absolute
menace to the public welfare. But
with- the "American dive" (low saloon)
removed, and under strict municipal or
other governmental control and super
vision, such aa exists with reference to
the "Yoshlwara" of Japan, It Is an
open argument as to whether "segre
gated districts" are or are not a "nec
essary evil," the existence of which
will go far toward the solution of the
problem of "vice" without commercial
ism. "Segregated districts" under such '
supervision would without question
tend to reduce the number of cases of
"vlce" without commercialism. Upon -the
theory that "the greatest good to.
the greatest number" Is the foundation
upon which all laws are based, we can
not condemn a remedy merely because
it may be evil In itself. If It be a "nee-"
essary evlL." Poison is often taken to '
counteract' the effects of another poi
son. But this would not entirely solve
the problem. There must be punitive
measures adopted. In this state, for
instance, we have laws governing
"statutory crimes." with a penalty of"
three to 20 years in the Pententiary
upon a conviction; we have a statute -making
criminal the act of "seduc
tion"; we prohibit, under penalty, the
crime of "abortion": and then we prac
tically stop. What protection have we
for the Illegitimate children, for their
mothers? What penalty do we attach
to such acts aa that of which Hembree
Is accused? The only distinction be
tween a "statutory crime" and an act
such as Is In question In the Burch
Hembree matter is the means em
ployed: the result attained is the same.
If one starts out to accomplish a
wrong, he has his choice- of weapons.
In the one rase he accomplishes the
end desired by force, actual or Im
plied: In the other case, he accom- -plishes
the end desired by fraud, or by
taking advantage of the weakness or.,
susceptibility of the other. But' the"
wrong Is the same in each case,
though, of course, aggravated to a cer
tain extent In the former -
It la true that under our statutes we
can perhaps prosecute for the latter
act, but our lsw Is weak. - Suppose a'
law were passed providing heavy pen
alty for the act Itself, would It not act -aa
a' deterrent of this crime against
the mora makeup of the community?.
Suppose a law were passed placing a
heavy penalty upon those guilty of .
bringing Illegitimate children Into the '
world, would It not help? Assume that,
the father were compelled by law to
give his Illegitimate child, a name,
would that be ovher than justice?"
Then add to this the education of par
ents so that they will exercise a little
more control and discipline over their
children: snd above all, provide fair,"
comfortable and living wages to the
working girls With this It seems that
we might expect a decided reduction
in the number of Instances- of this
kind.
Here Is a problem that really needs
solution. Never before was there such
a need of a Moses to lead us out of
the wilderness Into the promised land.
But as a people deeply Interested in,
the welfare of the social compact, we
will never be able to accomplish any
thing so long as we base our moral
reforms upon surface conditions; it Is'
not the fire ethat has already con
sumed the building that should com
mand our attention, but It Is the build
ing next door that needs protection.
Our fleht Is not properly aoalnet
"commercialized vice," hut rather Is it
against that sort "of "vice" which, to a
considerable extent, furnishes victims
for the commercial sld ff the que-
tion.
A
AMICUS CURIAE.