Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (March 4, 1917)
. -' -I -'.'-.! -I WHAT OF THE FUTURE ? QUESTIONS DOMESTIC SCIENCE GIRL TTvORTLAXD, March 3. (To the Edi I' tor.) Being a girl, I was rather interested in the opinions pub lished the other day in The Oregonian of certain bachelors on "The Woman." The most Sensible answer to my mind was that of the gentleman who only ventures. "What's the Use?" I was surprised to see how few re quired a knowledge of mere domestic affairs in their dream lady. Now I. don't blame the gentlemen for asking for brains or good looks, but why don't tney go a little farther and use a little common sense? Perhaps they figure, if a woman has brains she can trans late a cook book into a gastronomic heaven. Perhaps a good portion of the Jads expect to provide a wife with do mestic help, so she won't have to bother her pretty head about the house. Our grandmothers learned house work as a matter of course the grand fathers had expected them to. you see. But how about the success of the mod ern untrained housekeeper, who learns her domestic duties from cheap cook hooks and the Ladies' Home Journal? Who feeds her family out of paper nacks and cartons? No one counts up the number of cases in the divorce courts in which the quarrel had started because the husband had been having a diet of too much meat, the break fast coffee had been -cold every morn ing for a week, or a like reason. Then Ignorant feeding is sure to tell in the lowered vitality and resistance of the children. And even the housewives themselves are beginning to realize that they may he somewhat respon sible for the high cost of living. As to the cases in which the woman has servants. How many men start Into a business at the head, with no experience and probably no interest in the work? Yet this is often the ease with a society sirl. And if a wife leaves it all to servants.-the servants are remarkable or the husband's purse copiously filled, if disaster does not follow sooner or later. Please don't misunderstand me. I'm not a grandmother thinking of the pood old times. But sooner or later wo are going to realize that a girl can't expect to be a real homemaker without some training of sound study, and the sooner we realize it the bet ter. Her husband does not expect to keep up with his profession without constant study. He must, in order to he able to earn a living for his wife. But ie the wife going to do her part, that of studying her profession of keeping him. in health and happiness? Believe me, not unless the men de mand it. A DOMESTIC SCIENCE GIRL. IM.EA 3IAI11J hi Ml COXTBACTOKS O. G. Hughson Kays General Opinion Is '1'lint They are "Crooka." PORTLAND. Feb. 17 (To the Ed itor.) It seems to be quite a prevail ing idea that the building contractor is a crook. The fact that he is a build ing contractor makes him a crook no other evidence is needed none de sired, the evidence is prima facie. i mere are hve or six general bids on a large job; three or four are very close together and near the cost as esti mated by the architects and engineers who drew the plans and who have no other object than to arrive at a fair and just cost of the work; one is away high and one away low; all put up their certilied checks. When the bids are opened the low man comes in and says he made an error in tabulating his iig ures, makes the statement in good faith, tells the exact truth. Is it ac cepted? Is it given any credence? Has lie, as a responsible man, any stand ing? He has not. At once the cry of "crook" is raised. At once the three or four who are close together and wall -within the estimated cost are charged with collusion. The low man Is given no opportunity to correct a palpable error, his check is kept as "liquidated damages" or he must go ahead with the work.- Is It not so over and over again? It is. And what are the results? Is there anything gained? Is a ruined con tractor worth while. Is trouble, sus picion, loss and additional expense- in the long run desirable? Is the squeez ing of the last dollar of profit out of the work good business? It is not. Has the building contractor no stand ing, no show? Is there no way bv which a building can be erected at a fair cost and a reasonable profit? Is the public determined to beat him if possible' Doesn't it look that way? It does. Everyone that heard Mr. Pederson State that his office had made an error of $26,000 in his estimate on the Audi torium felt he was telling the truth. The writer said so before the Council and was asked on what he based his assertion that Pederson had made a mistake and was too low. He was asked if he had figured the job. etc To this he replied that Pederson had made an error because he said he had made en error and the reason he believed tiie statement was true was because he had been told by the city's architect that the building could not be erected for less than $365,000 and others spoke along the same line. Did it do an pood? It did not. Is the city the gainer by the course it took? It is not. Is Mr. Pederson the loser by forcing him to come through? He is. Are his bondsmen happy? They are not Are the material men jubilant? Not so'as to be noticeable. No one stands to gain anything worth while. All stand to lose in many ways and what should be a simple and satis factory business transaction makes wounds and sores that the years can not heal. There ought to be a better way to handle such matters and there Is a better way, but not yet. O. G. HUGHSON, Manager Builders' Exchange. TRIBUTE DliMKI) COLONEL BAKER Early Bay Courier Declared More En titled to Oregon's Homage. PORTLAND. Feb. 17. (To the Ed itor.) Seward D. Allen, of Eugene. Vrites a lugubrious letter which you print with his poem written by himself during or shortly after the war of '61 on Edward Dickinson Baker, in which he undertakes to add something to the discussion of that deceased gen tleman's fame and remarks. He has been much surprised since coming to Oregon to live that so little Is popular ly known here of that brave and pa triotic Oregonian. Permit a 'native Oregonian to say a Word or two. In Hie lirst place Colonel Baker was not an Oregonian. Nor was he an In habitant of Oregor. in the sense of cit- izenshipi nor was he even an American citizen, by nativity. In the second place the people of Oregon are not much given to hero worship, especially so in Colonel Baker's case. Colonel Baker had been but a few short months in Oregon before his election to the United States Senate was brought about by a political clique who had induced Colonel Baker to come up from San Krancisco especially for the purpose of defeating the home ground candidates. That he. was in no sense whatever en titled to this honor has been long the verdict of the people of Oregon. The fact -that he had already sat in Con gress in Lincoln's day from his adopted state of Illinois does not alterthe case of any of his merits. He had given up Illnols for the promising but elusive political prospects of California, from whence he .was prevailed upon by a certain few influential Oregonians to come to Oregon and enter the Senato rial contest already practically aligned. He was nothing short of a carpetbag ger. The statute of limitations I under stand does not run against the several states with respect to their choosing and establishing tho two statues ir the J-UU of Tame (at .Washington which, i each state in the Union is entitled. But i venture to say that when Oregon shall have, chosen both hers they will be typical of the times and peoples of Oregon's heroic age those stirring days when Oregon-was English in the morning, but American by sundown. A fit historical subject entitled to a niche in Oregon's Hall of Great Characters Is Joseph Meek. Oregon's express cour ier. In him is found a valiant pioneer, an American citizen whose deeds per formed in behalf of his native country will never be rubbed off the pages of Oregon's history. There was no bom bast about Meek, no military epaulets or cockades about him. His trips alone, practically afoot, to the Nation's capi tal, across a continent of snow and swollen streams through enemy terri tory nrs buckskin' armor audience with his cousin, the President of the United States, dressed in the typical garb of those heroic sons who saved the West for the American flag he de livered that famous birth pain mes sage of a new commonwealth arising in the West all, all. heroic, epic, clas sic and typically characteristic of peo ple and the times which produced our Deloved Oregon. GEORGE L. CURRY. double: STANDARD DEPLORED Woman Demands Equally Clean Life in Man, Says Correspondent. PORTLAND, March 3. (To the Ed itor.) It was with a feeling of amuse ment and injustice that I read, an arti cle In Monday's Oregonian entitled "Girls With Brains Sought for Wives.1 How carefully have our Portland men enumerated the necessary quail flcations of the woman they "would' marry, not' "do" marry. She must be attractive, graceful and healthy. You nave mere the three greatest attrlb utes to beauty. Combine these with still another qualification you demand, a pure mind or soul; and could the goos asK for more? What have they co oner in return? Have thev kent th mind pure, the body clean, the heart free for the reception of this worthy creature tney would marry? ju iney silence ineir consciences wtth the time-worn excuse, "wild oats"? Would they permit their wives to travel the same path they have No. we are not deceived. Thev de mand our first kiss, but their lips have stolen numbers. No true woman ever lived that didn't love children. Nature, who made her tne only gateway to life, implanted this love so firmly in her soul that no amount of corruption can "uproot it. The wronged woman of the street loves them just as dearly as the purest mother. Let these boys please make a care ful self examination and judge for themselves as to what they have to offer in return for the "woman they would marry." Next take a walk down Washington or Morrison. Observe the men, wom en, boys and girls as you pass and then sit down and think it over and if you are any judge of human nature you will decide that the women are sirperior mentally and morally at least and in many cases physically as well. When 1 first came to Portland to live I thought every woman I passed beautiful. They have such wonderful complexions, figures and hair. Today when I look at our' men, in their pinchback suits, loud ties and louder socks, a compassion for all womankind comes over me. Is it to this we must look for our daily bread, the fathers for our chil dren, the foundation of our homes? It is a deplorable fact that a man may live the dual life, become a de generate morally and physically and yet command for a wife a girl as pure and sweet, as perfect and efficient as even the marriageable men of Port land demand. Disappointed in her ideals, she turns to society and admiration for consola tion and soon sinks to his level or lives her life as a thing apart, causing dis sension and strife. When our husbands can meet us on a 50-50 basis the marriage question will be solved. This can be accomplished only by training the minds of our sons and daughters alike to keep the soul and body pure for the great work nature intended for them to perform. FERN HOPE. LAWYERS AND PASTORS BLAMED Writer Thinks Both Professions Should Restrict Divorces. PORTLAND. Feb.- 23 (To the Edi tor.) I am interested in wanting to know a few things that seem to me of far greater importance than Billy Sun day, what money he receives, or what he does with it. In reading Attorney Westbrook's closing remarks in the case just tried in court he is said to have scored Mr. Cameron as a home-breaker and closed with the quotation "What God hath Joined let no man put asunder." Now, I would like to know if that scripture wouldn't apply to every law yer, as well as to judges, for Christ, the divine son of God, tells us there is but one cause for separation. In my opin ion, if lawyers would only practice what they preach, and accept a divorce case only on Bible grounds; there would be many less broken homes and fewer poor little unhappy children, who are worse than orphans. Now. I would like to suggest to the preachers that if they measured up to the teachings of the word of God they would never perform a marriage cere mony where either party had been di vorced, no matter how far up in the walk of life they may be, or how gen erous the fee may be. I feel it is truth timS someone was Preaching the If there is anyone in doubt about rf.hil .V? VUten ,et them take the I t0.Jook "p and read- Mth. v: a x,v:?: Mark x:ll-12: Luke xl. 19. Romans vu:23. Get down the dear old book, my brother and sister, and wipe the dust off and let God talk to your hearts and. don't Tap satisfied with anything but the old-time religion and pay the full price and God will put the Joy and peace in your soul, make you fit to. live and ready to die. A MISSOURIAN. NATIONAL PREPARATION URGED George A. Thacher Thinks Congress Should, Study Needs. PORTLAND. March 3 cr , f tor.) It was profoundly interesting to hear Dr. David Starr Jordan describe the causes of the war and discuss the characteristics of the peoples of Europe who are engaged In the conflict. As a. deeply Interested and thoroughly In formed citizen of the world Dr Jor dan's estimate of the-sltuatlon seems very conclusive. He quoted Bismarck's terse conclusion, "It's no use for Ger many to try to be cock of the walk: Europe won't' stand it." The wisdom -of that homely phrase Is rather compelling unless we can be sure that human nature has changed since Bismarck's death. Probably Ger many Is the most wonderful nation the world has ever seen, but if Dr. Jordan Is correct in saying, as he said, to the Progressive Business Men's Club last Thursday, that a minority of-some 30. 000 persons in Germany are directly responsible for this terrific war. that alters the nature of the problem which civilized men are facing. It seems to me that It must help every thoughtful American In deciding where he stands, and public opinion is collective individual opinion In the last analysis. However desolating war has been It certainly has accompanied about all the steps towards democratic govern ment, where the majority rules in the iasc resort ar least. If Dr. Jordan is right in his opinion as to the number of persona primarily responsible for the war. and if Bismarck knew his Europe, the final outcome will be highly damaging to the rule of the minority, and, perhaps, destructive. If the premises are sound the conclusions are certain. In the meantime, however, the United. States has had in effect an embargo laid on its commerce by Germany, as President Wilson has just pointed out to Congress. The submarine warfare on all ..neutral commerce .In . certain zones is . the most effective embargo imaginable, and this affects' all tnt, world. Bismarck never dreamed of a dictation by Germany which would af fect the interchange of commodities Detween the nations of both continents, but it Is here, and the question is. "What are ' we going to do about it?" It was realized at the beginning that the United States Government could not afford for many reasons (and the rea sons were not all mercenary by any means to lay an embargo on its own commerce because--powerful nations were at war. That was unthinkable. and Dr., Jordan admitted that it. was Just as well that the Nation did not make the experiment. But now the embargo has been laid by Germany unless the Government re sists refuses to tand it and Ger many says that may mean war. 'Mayor Albee, in his message to the Oregon delegation in Congress, says put honor first and peace second." If we admit that commerce was the first step in civilization the exchange of the necessary commodities of life -and that now some nations must starve without it HolIandand Belgium, for instance the question of honor reaches down to the fundamental need of the support of human life in at least one nation cot involved in the war. If Dr. Jordan did not misquote Bismarck, and that surely is impossible, tho question 1s hardly one of the horrors of war, but of something more vital to imper fect human nature. If I am right in this brief analysis, Is there any possible question about the .absolute need -of a public opinion which will demand that the new Con gress meet immediately after the 4th of March to consider the needs of the United States and its duties? GEORGE A. THACHER. DR. JORDAN'S ARGUMENT HIT Reader Recommends Educator Discuss Fish. Not International Law. ALBANY, Or., March 2. (To the Edi tor.) I have been reading the utter ances of David Starr Jordan while In Portland with the hope that now we would get some real arguments for pacifism or unpreparedness, but I have been greatly disappointed. I find that his "arguments" consist of the same platitudes and bald assertions that we hear from lesser lights of "pussyfoot ers." In answering the argument for pre paredness that the Nation is danger ously exposed to attack by it enemies. the best that Jordan could do was to elaborate the canard by the yellow press that Japan had landed 75,000 sol diers in Magdalena Bay in Mexico. It is neither here nor there what Japan is doing in Mexico. The question of im portance for us is: What can we do if war is forced upon us? The United States has never been the aggressor in any of its wars, and yet we have had at least five important wars. It has been the purest luck that we have al ways fought with nations ha-ndicapped in resources or by some other war at the same time. UnprepaVedness in the past tia not kept us out of war and It has made the cost of our wars enor mously greater. Again, Dr. Jordan says that tho cap italist will profit most by a war. Cer tainly. But the capitalists also profit the most by peace. If war or peace is to be decided on the basis of whether capitalists profit most by one or the other, I am afraid that we would have to choose war instead of peace. He opposes military training because. he says, It will produce "bad citizens." This is another bald assertion unsup ported by the fact. The veterans of the Civil War have proved to be our best and most loyal citizens in every respect. ur does Dr. Jordan think that they are Daa citizens? He asks further what America has to fight for? And asks whether we will have any assurance that the .submarine will not be used again if we do succeed in putting it out of commission? Shal low, unworthy, craven! As well ask why we should hunt down a thief or murderer at great expense to the state. Why not let them go and save the cost in money and life? The answer is ob vious. We know that the hanging of one- criminal will not prevent others from committing crime: but we know also that if society does not protect Itself, life would bo intolerable and crime would become universal. The trouble with Dr. Jordan is that he cannot think in world terms, much less in National terms. I understand that Dr. Jordan is an authority on fishes. I Would recommend that he spend his time playing with them rath er than attempt to deal with problems whose significance he does not appear to grasp. t-roDiems like these need to be solved by practical men. A READER. DEFENSE IS DECLARED BESTIAL Mr. Barzee Says Tales of Heroism Mis lead Youths of Land. PORTLAND, March 3. (To th F.atJ i-or.j aii tnese were, years ago, little red-colored pulnv infants, e-a r.o ki r I being kneaded, baked into any social form you may choose." Thomas Carlyle. The above ' saying of a nrnfnunri thinker and philosopher means that wo may -Ue moulded by our environment into any creed of religion, politics, pro fession or skilled artisanshin r. th. degree that our physical and mental capacity may adapt Its hereditv. Honesty, sobriety, virtue, all yield to early evil environment, as slum hAv and bawdy-house girls of men and womannood prove. All lower animal life and even plants respond to this all Influencing power of environment All living Grand Armv veterans nf today to whom I would doff my hat In honor of-their service to the oounlrv. were mere boys when they enlisted in mat nestiai business of defense of the Nation and liberation of the black chat tel slaves, war brought about because reason and diplomacy were disregarded by the South in defense of their profit taking business. Added to this 'knead, baked social form" nf urii boyhood, the exact age when heroic deeds lure and inspire, is the social life of the Army posts, organized for their oenent ana entertainment. Where they display miniature cannon. discourse martial music and . recite their deeds and exploits of the Civil War. It "would be an exaggerated thought to expect any other, from these grown-up bovw, than such letters as my friend S. T. Adams writes. Even . David was not permitted to build the tabernacle Cel peace) because he was a "man oX war." To all such of my critics, with due respect for their service and loyalty, commend this letter. I must reserve to myself the privilege of right think ing that comes from modern culture and a different environment. I have among my friends many of the old boysnd their wives who. while not in accord with my modern thinking, have respect for my companionship because of personal acquaintance. My wife Is a member of the Woman's Relief Corps, to whose meetings in connection with the post I have gladly given aid to the decrepit and aged of their ranks. One old boy. Just passed on. I had carried up and down the stairs of their meeting place. Another, John W. Milllngton, deceased neighbor and friend, who-was one of the captors of John Wilkes Booth, having taken rrom the assassin his dying testimony, gave me his cane as a token of his friendship. Men of Mr. Adams' service and de votion' cannot understand my work. j which is for the present and future o-.iu iiul uur liiq ueftu jjcux.. . iveuuer will history record, as military service Is recorded, the deeds that individuals of my type may perform; but it is they of thinking- minds and not of combat ive energies that advance the world. I work for the abolition of war through destroying the cause of war. It will not be freedom for a few black people from chattel slavery, when it ts accomplished, but a freedom for all from a grinding system of -wage slav ery made possible through the extort ing system of profit-talking about which it is admitted this European war is being fought. C. W. BARZEE. SOCIAL EVIL REMEDY GIVEN Home for Teaching: Fallen Women to Earn Living la Advocated. REDMOND, Or., March 2. (To the Editor.) My attention recently has been attracted, to several newspaper articles relative to the red light district and investigations in connection with it In San Francisco. - They remind me of the article I wrote on this matter when I lived In San Francisco about 15 years ago. when these conditions were probably quite as bad as they are now. The fact that there has been little change convinces me that the remedy and plan outlined in that article was entirely practical. Perhaps the recital of -it may be of some assistance to you in arranging a solution of this difficult problem, if there be a solution. v- When I wrote the article 1 sent cop ies of it to several prominent men throughout the United States, among whom was Bishop Ireland, of Minneso ta, who pronounced It the most practi cal solution -of the question he had ever- read. The Governor of Kansas several years later offered to the Leg islature of that state a plan identi cally the same and recommended that it be enacted into law of that state. I do not know what action the Legisla ture took with reference to it, if any. The plan was as follows: The state should build a home, asy lum or -house of detention for fallen women. - The home to be a factory and school to educate these women in some trade suitable to the sex and the women com pelled to work when physically able. The product of their labor to be sold in the open market and all profits ac cruing to be deposited to their indi vidual credit. Then when In the judgment of the officers of the fnstitution an inmate had fitted herself to become a good citizen, that the employment depart ment would find for her a position In or outside the state, as might be found advisable. My argument Is that employment and state protection is the only means of salvation for these women. That they are what they are because of the be trayal of some man. That in their present condition they are in the open market and prey of sensuous men, and as such they are a menace to the com ing generation. It is a common verdict of many of our leading educators and doctors that prostitutes are not necessary to the community or city. That sensuousness and immorality are the results of train ing? and habit. If go, why should society afford or provide or consent to the means or avenue which will lead to the cultivation of such habits? When the really humane instinct of society is thoroughly awakened con cerning this matter I have no doubt but that a proper solution will result. Is it not a little strange that our ministers and church people have not solved the problem long ago? When I read of a raid on these wom en and brothels by law officers and po lice, resulting In nothing more than fines imposed on the parties involved, it reveale to me the weakness and Im practical results of our social fabric or organization. There Is something radi cally wrong with our social organiza tion; Not that It is different from that of the past or of other countries, but that we continue blind to the causes or sources which lead up to those bad results. For example, it appears to me that we need a state and National law that will compel all places of amusement to be closed during the hours of church service both morning and evening. Not because or church interests per se, but because of National interest. History does not reveal that a nation can long endure strong church- influ ence, hence it becomes a very serious national question. Now I am not a church member. Notwithstanding this, I believe it. to be sound logic. We have, as you know, stamped on our coins the superscription, "In God We Trust." It appears almost a sacri lege to place- it there considering our general social conditions. Great corporations and some of the states know no Sunday law. Oregon has recently abolished ita Sunday law. Again, our literature is not properly censored, and the modern movie pic tures are frequently grossly Immoral. All of which lead tip to these congested immoral conditions, and before they can be Improved in any substantial d in any substantial ses must be remedied ternel of my argument manner the causes or removed. .However, the kernel of my argument is protect tne prostitute, for that w I what she needs, and do It In a human. and practical way. Government and i society cannot discharge their duties I by doing less. Employment.- either com pulsory or voluntary, is the prostitutes' only salvation and cure. O. W. HEATH. "COPPERHEAD" TITLE TOPIC. "Old Timer" Declares Verm Synonymous With Democrat. PORTLAND, Or., March 3. (To the Editor.) In an article signed S. E. Oilbert. published in The Oregonian J and questioning your definition of the word "Copperhead." he declares that the words "Democrat" and "Copper head" were never used as synonymous terms in any part of the country. On the contrary, the fact that they wer6 usea as synonymous terms in everv part of the country can be easily and I conclusively proved by reference to i the Democratic and Republican papers published in every section of the coun- ' try during the days of the Civil War. It is true that thousands of Democrats enlisted In the Union Armies, mostly coming from the Douglas wing of the Democratic party. It is also true that the overwhelming majority of them came 'back from the Army as Repub licans. But the Democratic 'party as an organization did everything in its pow er to discredit and hamstring the Lin coln Administration. Lincoln himself was subjected to the most vicious and villainous personal abuse. "Traitor" and "tyrant" and "boor" anji "buffoon" and "Illinois ape" were some of the Infinite variety of epithets applied to him by Democratic newspapers and pol iticians. Clement L. Vallandigham, Al exander Long, Daniel Voorhees and oth er conspicuous Democrats were espe cially virulent. Vallandigham was banished to Canada for his treasonable utterances, and while there in exile was nominated by the Democrats - of Ohio as their candidate for Governor of that state. It is utterly useless to at tempt, even at this late day. to blot out the record of the Democratic party, the apologist and champion of the cause of human slavery in the dark ays of the Civil, War, Th.j DeinocraUu i'ational platform of 1864 well illustrates the part it played in delaying the conclu sion of the Civil War and in adding to the overwhelming burdens of Abraham Lincoln. The second plank of that convention reads: "This convention does explicitly declare, as the sense of the American people, that after- four years of failure to restore the Union by the experiment of war. during which, under the pre tense of a military necessity of a war power higher than the Constitution, the Constitution itself has been disre garded in every part, and public lib erty and private , right alike trodden down, and the material prosperity of the country essentially impaired, jus tice, humanity, liberty and the public welfare demand that immediate fforts be made for a cessation of Jiostilitles," etc This was a call for ''peace without victory." . Plank number three -denounced the Administration's conduct of the elec tions in the border states as a shame ful violation of the Constitution,, and declared that 'the repetition -of such acts in the - approaching election will be held as revolutionary and resisted with all the means "and power under our control." . - - - , Plank number four "denounced the Administrative usurpation of extraor dinary and dangerous powers not granted by the Constitution" and de plored "the submersion of the civil 'by the military law, the arbitrary-military arrest. Imprisonment, trial and sentence of American citizens, the suppression of freedom of 6peech and of the press, the disregard of state rights, the em ployment of unusual tests, oaths, etc." This was simply a protest and a plea for permission to continue their trea sonable practices. What did the ."Copperheads" as "Cop perheads" do that more effectively in creased Lincoln's burdens than they did as Democrats in National convention assembled? These comments would not be called for except for the recent brazen attempts of Democratic press and politicians to appropriate Lincoln as their own and to deceive the vot ers of the present generation into be lieving that Lincoln ever could'-hold anything in common with the Demo cratic party. OLD TIMER. SEWER ESTIMATES VEXATIOUS "Taxpayer" Worries Lest ' Whole Ex pense Shall Fall Back on City. PORTLAND, Match 3. (To the" Ed itor.) Those Tanner Creek sewer es timates have been causing me some worry lest the whole expense of the sewer should fall upon the city be cause the price exceeds the official es timate, and so far as I can see no good reason has been given for awarding the contract at. a price so far above the estimate made by the sewer en gineer and guaranteed ss "absolutely correct" by Mr. Dieek and Mr. Dater. The sewer engineer said his estimate was made carefully and then 25 per cent thereof was added thereto for contractor's profits. This made the to tal 273,733.65. Therefore his estimate of the actual cost of the sewer was ?218,9S6.2. The committee of engineers seems to have taken plenty of time to get a correct estimate and I had no facts "upon which to hang a doubt" until Mr. Mason's explanation was made public, to the effect that one item of $20,000 had been omitted and the price of materials had increased $4000. But that leaves the immense sum of $45, 38!.27 missing and unaccounted for. The committee of engineers reported that it found that the amount of the Lind & Shea bid would give barely 5 per cent above the cost of the sewer for profits. Their bid was JS02.795. Therefore tho actual cost of the sewr, as found by these eminent engineers was $288,376.19, or $69,389.27 more than the sewer engineer's estimate of the actual cost- Mr. Mason's explanation seemed to account for. $24,000 of this amount, but left $45,389.27 unaccounted for. If Mr. Mason has or can show what was amiss to cover this gap of $45.- I wisn he would let the nronertv owners know. They are entitled to the lniormation. . TAXPAYER, - PUT FAMILIES ON SOIL IS PLEA Bring Land ValuratDewB So That" La boring People Can. Live Is I rjted. SALEM, Or.. March 2. (To the Edi tor.) The movement at The Dalles, ad vertising for 100 families to colonize as many garden tracts in the vicinity of that c'ty, will be watched with crreat interest lry the whole state. The Com mercial Club or that town will co operate with the Union Pacific Rail road to bring to Wasco County and locate upon the E. F. Sharp place In Three-Mile Valley near The Dalles 100 families of Italians to become pro ducers of garden truck, vegetables and small fruits, most of which are now imported from California, and inci dentally to supply -the canneries and fruit-drying plants already built in that city. . . This is a-movement for the real de velopment of Oregon that not only means prosperity for the industries but to help get cheaper food supplies and ower tne n. c 1. It must be admitted that the-ordinary lines of hot-air ex pansion like community boosting, polit ical experiments, religious revivals and so-called, moral waving have not made it easier tor I ami I its to exist or for the state to grow along legitimate lines Lthe state to grow f of industrial dev spending millfon ' to produce more i elopment. We are still s for higher education 'to produce more professionally equipped people wno nave to .De supported by public taxes or private capital on high salaries, but who produce nothing, The Sharp ranch near The Dalles will have to be different from similar ranches near cities if ft can -be had at prices on which families of laboring people can exist. It is probably In flated in value fai beyond the point where vegetables and small fruits caif be produced. It probably will have to be Irrigated, tile drained and fertilized before it can be worked profitably, and the taxes and interest on the invest ment will eat up all the values that labor even of Italian families can wrinir from the reluctant soil. This Is not tlons of land values of old ranches near any large city in Oregon. One hundred families of Italians or of any nationality . that will live 'and labor on the soil .would be welcome-In Oregon, except y the professional la- Dor exploiters, and if they had a timber order ot common sense they would see that such labor is not inimical to killed labor, which, after all. Is the only material mat tans for' union labor organization. The product nf common laTjor. where the whole family works, enter Into the channels of trade and benefit skilled labor. Such labor, if wa can get It In Oregon, would be our only free labor, free from dicta tion by state laws or labor tyranny that prevails in large cities. There would be no way to apply the eight-hour laws, the minimum-wage laws, the child-labor laws, or the many factory laws that have been enacted, but these families of colonists would be free to labor on their own land, men, women and children, to produce the things our state needs and Is now importing, and to accumulate wealth whether they had shower baths or san itary plumbing in their houses or not. And who that knows the Italian peo ple can doubt they would be happy and become prosperous and send their chil dren to school and churches and be the making of good citizens? Good luck to The Dalles and the colonization system of the Union Pa cific Railroad. If itnore cities would take up this line of work in direct co operation with the Southern Pacific and the Hill lines to secure direct immigra tion of laboring people who will go upon the soil and become producers and home owners it would be a godsend Tor Oregon. . As The Oregonian has shown, this state is developing slower than any state on the Coast. We are spending thousands of dollars to bring here the best people from the middle states and have appropriated $45,000 to bring In tourist travel. But. so far as the real -upbuilding of the state Is concerned, 100 Italian families of the laboring class would be worth more to any county In the state than, all the other classes put together. The state and fhe cities and counties should concentrate on this one line of development put families on the land who will work and become producers and taxpayers and enable them, to stay there. Quit spending money of the tax payer to multiply the professional classes and boost the cities and real estate values the professionals will be with us under any circumstances and. cities will attract and real estate speculation will continue to curse our Western states until we learn to fight It and bring land values down so that laboring people can live on th soil. E. HOFER. LOANS TO ALLIES A HE PROTESTED Writer Says War Credits Cause IHch t'OMt of Living. WALLA WALLA. Wash.. March 2. (To the Editor.) Why wait for a Con gressional probe to unearth the cause of the present high cost of living when we do. know that the foreign demand Tor our foodstuffs, is, at least, one cause and a big one and that that demand has been "assisted." financed and rendered effective by the war credit we have -in various ways extended to the allies? Why not. at once, stop this illegitimate drain upon our resources, if not on be half of the starving poor, then as a measure of preparedness? We cannot fight on empty stomachs! According to the letter of interna tional law, our present trade with the allies might be considered neutral. It ill becomes us, however, to insist upon trie letter of the law when, through changing conditions, the letter of the law becomes opposed to the spirit of the law. " When the present rules of interna tional conduct were adopted, trade be tween countries was reciprocal. If a belligerent was' etrengthened by her imports from neutrals, she was also proportionately weakened by her ex ports to neutrals. Such trade, even In munitions of war, did not unduly inter fere with the right of a belligerent that neutrals -should not lend assistance to the enemy. When, however, such trade ceases to be either directly or indirect ly reciprocal and is financed by citizens of neutrals, assistance is lent to the enemy in violation of the rights of the otner belligerent. . By obtaining her Imports on credit, a belligerent is enabled to divert labor rormerly engaged in production for ex port and home consumption to the car rying on of the war. Hence, to claim that our present lopsided trade with the allies is in compliance with the principles of international law Is ab surd. Nor does the fact that we would be equally willing - to lend Germany such assistance change the character of such trade. We should keep 'our lianas entirely out of the muss. We deem It incompatible with our sovereignty to permit either or both belligerents to establish recruiting of fices for men In this country and, yet notwithstanding the fact that war is fought with dollars as well as it is with men, we have permitted the allies to establish a recruiting station for dol lars in the office or J. P. Morgan & Co., and this" was done under the express sanction of the Administration, the question of the neutrality of such war loans having been first submitted to the Administration. But, as a man said to me the other day, cannot one loan his money to whom and where he pleases? No: not if it be In contravention of the right of his neighbor. There is a gospel of wealth and there is a patriotism of wealth and that gospel and that pa triotism does not breed "war babies" by starving the babies of the poor. It is not the money of the rich hut the living of the poor to the amount of yover two billions and a half dollars that has been loaned to finance this war. Aside from the question of neu trality, is thts right? It is hard to say to what extent Ger many has been goaded into making her ruthless submariner attacks on shipping by. our Unneutral attitude. This ques tion, however, is no longer open. Right or wrong, we must stand by the Ad ministration in any attitude it may cause this country to take toward foreign nations. It is only insofar as our unneutral conduct has reacted to our own domestic hurt that the ques tion of such conduct remains open. All honor, however, should be given to our German-American citizens who, notwithstanding that their adopted country is entering this struggle with unclean hands, are willing to fight and die for her. In closing. I will say that I am neither pro-German nor a "pacifist." but an American." citizen begotten of patriotic American forebears running back to the early part or the I7tn cen tury and that. In questioning the legality of the war cradit we have ex tended to the allies. I have nothing but the interest of this country at heart. A. H. SAWYER. BIBLE REBUKES PACIFISTS Writer Finds That God Often Led He brews in Defensive Wars. HOOD RIVER. Or., March 2. Tojthe Editor.) It is said that "familiarity breeds cqjicempt." I feel to say that much of the time "sentimentality breeds contempt." , 1 ' - 'I shall write of one line of5 thought on the present sentimentality on " the presant war and preparedness. I do not believe a balanced mind de sires war.. It may 'become a necessity for the maintenance of the honor and security of a nation. Some Socialists have had the whole economic proposition of a nation in their individual vision and tried to forse it on everyone they met to his annoyance andV disgust. Some of the vision was good, but not practical. They do not consider present conditions. bo the pacifists, sentimentalists do not want this Nation to entertain the Idea of war or preparation for war. Some of them, from their religious con ceptions and excerpts of Bible teaching, gladly conclude they have the right idea. . The same people are opposed to capi tal punishment, not knowing that the Hebrew code submitted at Sinai treated of 22 capital crimes and 16 punishable by .banishment from national privileges. When the punishment was applied Je hovah declared: "So shall ye put away sin from Israel." That was divine law and justice. The pacifist flees from part of Bible teaching as if th,e Lord had not delivered It and rushes to the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and tries to force his grace on world conditions. ' Christ left human governments to work out their own problems in their own way and he did not propose to found an earthly government. He taught his followers to obey world gov ernments and be submissive to them for they ministered the will of Gocf for good to them as well as the uncon verted (Robvxiii:l-7). Christ said. "If my kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight." The king dom of Christ is spiritual and citizen ship in it IS possessed by spiritual birth and maintained by spiritual life. Temporarily Christians are subject to world governments. In spirit we are subject to Christ, In matters ot human government we are subject to "tho powers that be." If Christians are called upon to serve tho Nation in war they will be obedient to Christ if thev do. They servo in the war not as Christians, but as American citizens. Our temporal interests are here and our Government protects the American Christian as well as the American heathen. Both may fight side by side in a trench and the Christian may so act and speak so as to convert his brother in the flesh and become as he and th ro-h faith in Christ escape tho con sequences of sin. . Jehovah directed the battle between, the Hebrews and Amalekites so tVit : the Hebrews were victorious. H directed the battles of Joshua against . tho seven nations of Canaae. He cLi- " rected the battle between the Hebrews and Midianites in tho time of Gideon. In the time of Samuel Jehovah was i present In a battle between Israel and -the Philistines, so that the prophet set up a monument calling it Ebenezor, meaning - "Hitherto hath tho - Lord ' helped us." In the wars between Ahab and Ben hadad the Hebrews were victoriousr But a prophet of Jehovah told AhaU to prepare for another war with Syria the next year. He took the advice and won another victory. (I Kings 20:22). These instances may be multiplied lu -Hebrew history. There were pacifists among the Hebrews, but Jeremiah told. them "Cursed is he that withholdetU , his sword from blood." Their sentimentality was a lack of " patriotism. They were afraid of their skin. Some of the wars of the He brews were offensive, but mostly de fensive. Christians are not permitted to wago ' physical war to advance Christianity, -i "The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh." But every citizen of tho -United States should support the Gov- , ernment. He owes it to the Govern- . ment: he should unite with all in the. defense of our homes and our institu--tions. Cornelius was a devout. Ood-f earing, . generous, praying man while he was an officer of the Roman armv. There. ls no intimation that he left his army -relations when he became a Christian, J. B. LISTER. -,; CrVIL WAR LEAK IS RECALLED ' Information Obtained on Action of Committee Used for Profit. MEDFORD. Or., March 2. (To tho.! Editor.) Now that the Congressional . investigation of the so-called "leak." by the means of which certain Wall-street brokers were enabled to profit by a "tip" on President Wilson's peace note, has become "the grin without the cat." interest may be occasioned in recount-', ing a Congressional leak that occurred during the Civil War. through which two men. substantially without means, were enabled to acquire the ownership ., of a great metropolitan newspaper. In the framing of the revenue bill the greatest caution was exercised In -preserving secrecy in the action of the ways and means committee, which was preparing the measure. An attache of the committee, in a clerical capacity. wa3 also the Wash , ington correspondent of the greatest Republican paper of tho Northwest. - The committee experienced great ; difficulty in reaching an agreement concerning the tax on spirits, the main " point in the controversy being whether ' the tax should apply on spirits already" manufactured or only on such as should be distilled after the bill should be come a law. To prevent speculation this point was not agreed upon until the measure was. in all other details, completed. It was after midnight when the bill was ready to be reported, and it provided that. the tax should apply only on goods manufactured after it should become a? law. Between that hour and the meetlnij of Congress, when the bill was report- ed and acted on, a large portion of -whisky and high wines in the hands ! of distillers at Chicago. Peoria and other Western centers were purchased, by a syndicate beaded by a Chicago banker, and ks the bill fixed a tax of .. $2 a gallon, exempting spirits already distilled, the profits were enormous. Some time after this event the cor- . respondent of the paper referred to and, . the business manager, who had been h salary man, purchased the paper at a large consideration, and all things con- . nected therewith ran along as smooth ly as though the wheels were super greased until the Grant-Greeley cam paign. Then the new owners of the paper, r swelling with tho pride of their achievement, essayed to acquire po litical control of the Northwest by shifting their paper to the enemy, and ' in the tfrm. of the day they "Greeley-, ized," realizing their error only when the good voters of the land sent Gree ley to his farm, and tho patrons.of tho paper, to the extent of more than over one-half, stopped their subscript ions Their sun had set, and the former own : ers of the paper repurchased it at H, considerable discount, restoring it tu -Its old-time sphere of influence. The business manager retired to pri vate life. The correspondent, tha author of the "leak," went to an East ern city, where he for many years con-: ducted a paper that he purchased in a. conservative and profitable manner.. Had it not been for the information ha acquired as attache of the ways and' means committee, which he slipped to his chum, the business manager, who' passed it on to the banker, he might have lived and died a conventional' Washington correspondent, as did many an honest and worthy man of his class.. Tho actors in this "leak" have all ' gone hence, ' and the incident is re called to' sho-w that "leaks" are not new" in Washington, and as a sugges- tion that, to the end of time, or until -the regeneration of man becomes lact and not a dream, "leaks" of liko character will occur. A. A. LATHROP. ' IDEAL HUSBAND IS PICTURED) Bachelor Girl Tells of Kind of Man W anted for Husband. PORTLAND, March 3. (To the Ed itor.) We have noted with a great deal of interest your article of February 26. entitled "Girls With Brains Sought for Wives." We. as bachelor girls, are in. full sympathy with the bachelor boys of Portland in regard to what should. constitute a real woman as wife and. mother. And also have about the samo ideas in regard to what should con stitute a desirable husband. . . We fully agree with Mr. Spencer and. the others, but go a bit further and say we think these requirements should be met in both the man and the woman. For instance: The young man should. have as his most attractive quality a beauty of character that Is expressed in every action of his life; he must also have the inner beauty rather than the external. He should love and honor his parents, and realize the physical body-is the most precious gift of earth- And be spiritual enough to give God the praise for all these and the many blessings of life. In fact everv man should be a Christian. We do not care, whether he is a doctor, or whether her is a lawyer, or whether he has money, or whether ho can grow potatoes, bu we want him to have brains enough to be capable of earning a living. For when we marry we want a "husband." not an animal: we want a home, not a. divorce; we want children, not degen erates. Then and not till then will men get the kind of wives they desire. But then, as Gordon A. Josh) Billings has. put it, "Oho,-what s the use? They aro not labeled, that way these days." A BACHELOR. GIRL, f r - w i - k - " i.f !:.- --t l ;,'. -- -r.
