8
THE SUNDAY OltEGONIAX, PORTLAND. MAY 9, 1920
ESTABLISHED BY HENRY I.. rlTTOCK.
Published by The Orcgonlan Publishing Co..
136 Sixth Street. Portland. Oregon.
C. A. MORDEN. K. B. PIPER.
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plants would produce enough of this
to meet the needs of the entire popu
lation. -
Department scientists would be
pardoned for a little professional
impatience over the annual recur
rence of these seed swindles. It is
difficult, however, to. scotch them
so completely that they remain dead,
and so the annual warning for 1020
has just been issued. Growers are
advised not to pay for get-rich-quick
marvels that they know nothing
about, to plant sparingly if they feel
that they must try something new,
and in the main to confine them
selves to classical, tested varieties
of seedand to established cultural
methods. It will be the means of
saving a good deal of valuable land
for essential food crops if farmers
generally will keep well within the
limits of their 6wn experience and
that of the agricultural experts of
their states and of the federal government.
life insurance experience is that
more than one-half of the deaths
caused by automobiles occurred
among children jmder 15 years old,
while official statistics, for the coun
try at large show that only 28 per
cent of the killed were children. The
general population being approxi
mately half rural, and the insurance
companies drawing the larger part
of their business from the populous
centers, the deduction is that danger
increases as population increases.
High rate of fatalities- among wage
earners' children also indicates that
it is., safer to be in the automobile
than on the street, since a large pro
portion of these in ail probability
were not automobile passengers.
There is a poor kind of satisfac
tion in the showing that last year's
increase in fatalities was not as
great as it rrtight have been. Yet it
would be interesting to know why
there was not a decrease. A large
proportion of these accidents are
avoidable. The safety-first cam
paigners, it is plain, still have work
before them.
WHY. NOT CHAMBERLAIN?
A paragraph from the Portland
Journal excites in The Oregonian a
little more than a passing inlert.
It is: - .
The defeat of Senator Reed In the Mis
souri democratic state convention was em
phasized by the adoption of a platform
Indorsing the covenant of the league of
nation. without reservations which tend
to weaken or nullify.it. This was an even
stronger repudiation of Reed I than was according to the brief description
FIXE FEATHERS.
Nine-tenths of the value of the
gorgeous creation in millinery which
the news dispatches say the president
of France has "refused to permit"
Madame Deschanel to accept as the
gift of American milliners consists.
CIVK VS MORE- LAWS.
By all means the Marion county
grand jury recommendation of legis
lation to prevent repetition of the
bond transactions involving the state
treasurer's office should be adopted.
The one thing in the way of laws
that seems to be most needed is laws
that will protect the people from
their own folly. Doubtless it will
develop that still other laws are
needed. In time perhaps we shall
attain the delightful state where the
system of checks and balances and
mandatory and directory legislation
shall be so perfect that no considera
tion need be given at all to the fit
ness of candidates for office. State
officials will have been deprived of
all discretionary powers and a bunch
of common clerks can do the work.
Perhaps.
In this instance there is illustrated
the full fruits of the self-nominating
system which prevails In Oregon.
The people chose from among a
number of voluntary candidates for
the office of state treasurer a man
who was popular for his inter
est In a particular class and who
was generally reputed to be an
honest soul who knew next to noth
ing of financial affairs or financial
transactions. In doing so it rejected
the candidacy of others who had had
- financial experience and were versed
In business affairs.
Out of the innocence of the treas
urer and the amateurishness of his
deputy a bond broker has profited
inordinately. The obvious fact that
the state treasurer's office was fully
able to go into the bond buying busi
ness on its own motion was over
looked by the treasurer and his dep
uty and a middle man was unneces
sarily employed. In one transaction
$100,000 worth of municipal bonds
were purchased with public moneys
at a profit to the bond dealer of
$16,000. As was to have been ex
pected, no criminality was discovered
by the grand jury merely incompe
tence on the tone side and over-keen
business practice' on the other.
As heretofore remarked, there
ought to be a law to prevent its ever
happening again. That is the most
commonly heard recommendation
when anything goes wrong in public
affairs, "There ought to, be a law
to prevent it." And as also re
marked, we shall as time progresses
discover . that still more . laws are
needed. Give us laws and lots of
them that we may at each election
vote our passing fancies and elect
men because they are good fellows
, and not because they are competent
for the places.
Still we can think of another rec
ommendation or two that the grand
jury might have offered. One is that
the present state treasurer resign
Another on the bare chance that
after the statute books have been
filled " up there still may be some
matters of discretion devolving on
the treasurer and overlooked by the
legislature is that that official be
appointed by the governor.
as a delegate to San Francisco. It is prob
ably an accurate index as to what will be
the attitude of the party in the election.
The record of Wilson and the policies of
Wilson will be the Issue on which the na
tional democracy will take its stand, and
it will be a sound position.
If our valued, , if unenlightened,
contemporary will turn to its file of
the Congressional Record, and ex
amine page 4915, it will find there
the authentic list of senators who
voted for the treaty with the hated
Lodge (or committee) reservations;
and in its due alphabetical position
it will discover the name of Senator
Chamberlain. With some twenty
other democrats he abandoned the
president and joined the reservation
ists. It is easy enough to go, half way
across the continent and denounce
the truculent and bitter-ending Reed.
But why overlook Chamberlain?
What he said and did on the treaty
is of immediate interest in Oregon.
Why waste any editorial thunder on
Reed, and be entirely silent about
Chamberlain?
This is the same paper, by the
way, that in a single article criticised
Chamberlain for attacking the war
department and commended him for
bringing about, by his critical ac
tivities, needed reforms in that same
war department. He should never.
no never, have done it: but thank
heaven th;;t he did it!
AGRICULTURAL FRAUDS.
About this time of year the fancy
of a certain class of promoters
turns to exploitation of "wonder"
plants, usually varieties that have
been tested and rejected by compe
tent authorities, but which continue
to bob up serenelyeasonafterseason
with only a change of name. Ono
year it is a liberty clover, which hap
pens not to be a clover at all; an
other year it is a "marvel" wheat
alleged to yield a thousand fold re
gardless of conditions of soil or cll-
. mate. This year it happens to be i
a bean.
The United States department of
agriculture says that the "Pearson
bean,", "wonder bean," "Watakfc
bean," "Gotania bean." or "South
American bean," which is being ex
tensively offered in the evident no
tion that farmers don't know beans,
is nothing but the jack bean to
which savage disciples of voodoo
worship in the American tropics
have been ascribing supernatural
properties for a century. These
tribesmen plant a row of seed around
their habitations in the belief that
" the plant will keep off trespassers,
much as some more enlightened
white folks plant castor bean hedges
to exclude moles and gophers. The
jack bean custom has been traced to
Africa, where the similar sword
bean is treated as an object of
worship. Scientists of the depart
ment find nothing to justify confl
dence in these weird beliefs. Nor
have they been able to discover any
thing else to recommend the jack
bean.
The jack bean's good points arf
exhausted In the statement that it
is highly prolific. The pods are
frequently fourteen inches long and
the seeds often outweigh their own
herbage. The latter may yield at the
- rate of sixteen to twenty tons to the
acre. This point is dwelt on by the
agricultural Wallingfords. It is
found by exhaustive experiment that
the bean has a slight; value as a
green manuring crop and is worth
something as silage, although not as
much- as established ensilage mate
rials, such as corn, vetch or even
sunflowers. Cattle do not relish the
hajf and do not gain weight on the
ground beans, which they must be
taught to eat. The seeds contain a
large proportion of a medicinal sub
stance known as urea.se, but a few
KEEPING A PARTY'S PLEDGES.
The Oregonian is gratified to have
the approval of an original advocate
of the direct primary, such as Judge
Lowell, to its recent suggestion that
a platform convention would be an
appropriate step toward organized
political effort. It was not made in
the interest of the republican party,
but of all parties. It was not made in
a spirit of hostility to the direct pri
mary, but in recognition of its ob
vious and admitted defects.
No one who admits that party is
vital in a republic can object to a
plan to strengthen and dignify party
Are there any who say that govern
ment can get along -better without
organization of men and women to
promote principles, policies and
measures upon which they agree?
If so, who are they?
But it may be questioned whether
the correct time to hold a platform
convention is after the primary,
when candidates are nominated, each
on his own platform. Nor could it
have any utility this year as to na
tional issues, for the national con
vention would have been held and
there would be nothing to do but go
through the useless formality of rat
ifying the action of the greater body.
To be sure, there are certain state
issues upon which declarations tf
policy might be made; but with the
candidates already nominated, and
the party committed to their sap
port, any scheme to define for them
their attitude on public questions
would doubtless lose its effectiveness.
A state convention, expressing the
sentiments of a party on public
questions, after, conference and
agreement, should and would be a
guide to a national convention. It
could and should declare certain
policies in the administration of
state affairs, and there would be
unity of action in their accomplish
ment. Now the public is served by
the individual, who makes his own
pledges and carries them out, or not.
as he sees fit. Who remembers
what a candidate's nomination plat
form was? But-if there were to be
party responsibility to tire public,
ana individual responsibility to
party, there would be far greater
likelihood of platform pledges being
Kept.
vouchsafed us, of a number of bird
of paradise plumes, these being ap
praised at $500 apiece. There are
nine of them. There may be more of
the politics of . commerce in the re
fusal than there is of consideration
for a rare and beautiful bird species
now rapidly nearing extinction, but
the event will furnish more than one
text for a homily on the economic
nd humanitarian crimes which mil
liners of all times have committed in
the name of art.
The bird of paradise is an interest-
ingornithologicaland biological study.
Scientifically it furnishes an import
tant part in the evidence adduced by
Wallace, Darwin and other evolu
tionists in support of the theory of
sex- selection as a means of develop
ing certain intensified group char
acteristics. It is the males of the
species which furnish th fine feath
ers that women wear. "The mar
velous ornamentation of these
males," says a naturalist of author?
ity, "seems to have been developed
wholly by rivalry in attracting ad
miration of the females." The latter.
in exercise of a self-repression that
cannot be too strongly commended
to the attention of humans, forego
the decoration that would betray the
presence of their nests and lead to
their extermination. Yet the vanity
of ths male bird of paradise has set
this sacrifice at naught. A perfect
specimen of plumage is valued at
$500 because the hunt for the ma
terials of millinery has reduced the
supply'almost to the vanishing point.
A bird of paradise is seldom taken
alive.
That a few feathers from a tropic
aviary should be counted as of nine
times the value of the other ma
terials entering into the finished hat,
and said to have been "supplied by
each of forty-eight states of the
United States" is a matter from
which the economic moralists will
draw their own conclusions. Presi
dent Deschanel's declination is digni
fied enough, and diplomatic enough,
not to give offense. It is indeed in a
good deal better taste than the prof
fer Itself, or the "fourteen points" of
the Paris milliners, who hold to the
notion that theirs is still the ex
elusive privilege of dictating fashion
to the world. The rodomontade of
trade that characterizes the fourteen
points Is Intensified, perhaps, by
growing fear that there may be
something in that "dangerous re
sourcefulness" of Americans which
Paris, now admits and deplores.
We wish that diplomatic exigencies
had permitted M. Deschanel to ex
press himself more fully on the is
sues involved in this international
incident. We suspect that, as one
who wishes well for his fellow men,
he might have taken occasion to
preach a little sermon on thrift. He
can hardly be Insensible to the value
of an excellent example where .un
warranted extravagance is proposed
The example has Keen set, at any
rate, and the husbands of spend
thrift wives will breathe just that
much easier for a while.
THE PACE THAT KILLS,
Those who are inclined to belittle
the "safety first" movement will find
profit in reading the statistics ot
automobile fatalities in recent years.
The number of these in the registra
tion area of the United States in 1906
was 183; in 1918, the last year for
which official records are available.
ibto persons were killed by auto
mobiles. The death rate for auto
mobile accidents is now nearly 50
per cent higher than that for ty
phoid fever and 60 per cent higher
man ror either suicide or homicide
ins me peaK been reached, or
nearly reached? A recent statist!
cal bulletin issued by the Metropoli
tan Life finds that there was a
"slight increase in the death rate'
from this cause among insured wage
earners for 1919 as compared with
1918. but this may or may not be
confirmed as to the country as a
whole by the figures of the census
bureau, yet to be made known. The
bulletin shows the importance ot
automobiles as a cause' of death,
however, by the statement that while
there were 1332 fatalities among
nearly 13.000,000 policy-holders in
1919, there were in 1911 only 178
such fatalities. The automotoile death
rate, on this showing, has risen from
2.3 per 100,000 to 10.6 per 100,000
in only eight years.
That there should have been "only
a slight increase" in the past year
may be an Indication that the high
point is being approached. There
may be less careless driving, or bet
ter enforcement of police regula
tions, or pedestrians may be learn
ing to keep, out of the way. But
there is in the figures, nevertheless,
a lesson for parents who live in the
centers or population.
A SQUARE DEAL FOR THE WEST,
How great an injustice is done to
the west by the Pinchot conservation
policy is set forth in plain figures
by Representative Louis E. Bean in
the letter which he has sent to the
several presidential candidates, and
which is published in another col
umn. . More than one-fourth of the
area of Oregon is Included in gov
ernment reserves of. various kinds,
therefore exempt from taxation
though it should yield about $2,000,
000 a year to the revenue of the state
and counties. The national . forests
alone cover a proportion of the area
of the eleven public land states rang
ing from 7 per cent in Nevada up to
33 per cent in Idaho, the Oregon per
centage being 21. The civillaws of
the states do not cover these vast re
servies and to that extent they are not
sovereign over all land within thei
b'orders. Their police powers extend
over the reserves, but the effect is
that they are responsible for preven
tion and punishment of crime withi
those areas, though they derive no
revenue therefrom.
Under these" conditions it is
mockery to pretend that the western
states-are members of the union on
an equal footing with the original
states, as required by the federal
constitution. In other states land
has passed into private ownership,
except such tracts as are used for
stricly governmental purposes. The
reservation policy prevents the west
ern states from attaining that po
sition of full sovereignty over their
entire area. They are not on an
equal footing, for a great proportion
of their area is subject to another
sovereign.
Unappropriated and unreserved
public land constitutes another
large area that is exempt from state
taxes and state laws. In Oregon it
increases the total in government
ownership to more than half the area
of the state. This is not enough for
the reservationists. They want the
government to buy all the privately
owned timber land within the boun
daries of national forests and to add
adjoining tracts. They also want to
extend the jurisdiction of the fores
try bureau over privately owned for
est land, thus further restricting the
sovereignty of the states.
Some redress is given to the states
by the provisions of the leasing law
and of the pending waterpower bill
Industrial J which allot to the states 37 per
cent of the royalties and rents. The
latter bill also subjects to sfate regu
lation waterpower within each state's
boundaries. But the national forests,
which comprise the bulk of the re
served area, yield no revenue to the
states except a small percentage of
their income, and congress has pa
ternally allotted this percentage to
roads and schools, as though the
states could not be trusted to admin
ister their own funds. The area un
der full state jurisdiction will at best
be very gradually enlarged by pat
enting of parts of the unappropri
ated, unreserved public domain, for
costly . reclamation is necessary to
jnake much of it productive and
much more is mere barren, rocky
mountain tops and irreclaimable des
ert. Not only is the position to which
the western states are thus relegated
inferior to that of the older states
and therefore contrary to the spirit
of the constitution; it places a stigma
on them which they do not deserve.
They have . established systems for
regulation' of public utilities which
smpare favorably with those of any
Ider states. For economy, effici
ency and general cleanness their ad
ministration is superior to that of
the federal government, certainly to
the present government. They are
as alive to the wisdom and duty ot
onserving their resources as are
ny of the bureaucrats who want to
be their guardians. Their citizens are
etter qualified to execute the true
conservation policy asconceived by
Roosevelt than men who do not
know the west or have studied its
pjroblems in books and the laboratory
instead of by living in it.
For these reasons the suggestion
of Mr. Bean that the national forests
be turned over to the states to be
administered by them' under federal
laws is worthy of consideration by
the republican convention. That pol
icy would be in the line of decentral
ization, which has become Impera
tively necessary. There was a point
to which centralization of govern
mentwas wise and inevitable, but
that point was passed long ago. The
federal government has expanded to
uch proportions and has invaded so
many fields -of activity that many of
the things which it undertakes to do
are either done badly or too late or
not at all, and always at excessive
ost The government is so big and
clumsy that it continually gets in its
own way. The time is ripe to enter
upon a policy of decentralization by
unloading much of the work upon
the states. The policy would agree
with the policy of economy and- ef
ficiency which is the most urgent
need of the time and which the re
publican party will surely promise to
adopt.
METHODIST BAN ON AMUSEMENTS.
In the effort to revise the section
of the discipline of the' Methodist
Episcopal church relating to forbid
den amusements which has recurred
at every session of the general con
ference since 1900, the bishops of
the church have contended for mod-
fication, but have been defeated by
the votes of pastors and laymen of
the conference. Prediction of Dr.
Edmund M. Mills, acting secretary of
the conference, that revision will be
accomplished at the present session
n Des Moines is probably based on
the consistency of the growth of
modification sentiment ever since the
question became a polemical issue
within the church. It was pointed out
eight years ago, when amendment
was defeated by the narrow margin
of seventy-seven votes, that a ma
jority so sdant in favor of reten
tion could serve only to embarrass
ministers in their efforts to enforce a
provision already more honored in
the breach than in the observance,
and that an ecclesiastical statute
which has already become a dead
letter were better for repeal. There
is some reason for believing also that
desire of the church to enter more
fully into the -spirit of the modern
religious - movement may figure
largely in the result this year at Des
Moines. ,
The section of the church disci
pline which it is sought to amend is
that which reads:
In cases of neglect'of duties of any kind;
imprudent conduct, . . .. dancing, play
ing at-games of chance, attending the
aters, horse races, circuses, dancing pari
ties or patronizing danotng schools, or
taki-ng part in such other amusements as
are obviously of misleading or Questionable
tendency. . . . On the first offense let
and to be scrupulously careful Jn this '
matter to aet no Injurious example. We
adjure them to remember that often the
question for a Christian must be, not
whether a certain course of action is posi
tively immoral, but whether It will dull
the spiritual life and be an unwise ex
ample. We direct all our bishops, dis
trict superintendents and pastors to call
attention to this subject with solemn urg
ency at all annual and quarterly con
ferences and in all our pulpits; and our
editors, Sunday school officers, ETpworth
league officers and class leaders to aid In
abating the evils we deplore. We deem it
our bounden duty to apply a thoughtful
and instructed conscience -to the choice of
amusements, and not to leave them to ac
cident or taste or passion; and we affec
tionately advise and beseech every mem
ber of the church absolutely to avoid "the
taking of such diversions a.s cannot be
used in the name of the L.ord Jesus."
There is a historic declaration, on
which proponents of the revision
movement also rely, that the Meth
odist Episcopal church "has always
believed that, the only infallible proof
of legitimacy of any branch of the
church is its ability to seek and save
the lost and to disseminate the Pen
tecostal spirit and life." The chief
stress "has ever been laid, not upon
the forms, but upon the essentials of
religion." Two other interesting
phases of the discussion arising out
of the vote, in the general confer
ence last preceding the world war
are the contention that the majority
against revision, small as it was,
would have been still smaller if it
had not been for a considerable pro
portion of instructed delegates, who
gave their votes where judgment
did not consent; and the analysis of
the vote which showed that the
white, "Knglish-speaking congrega
tions were in favor f the change,
by a vote of 842 to' 293. In this
category, as further analysis showed.
pastors were inclined more generally
toward revision than were laymen.
They voted 187 to 139 for revision,
the lay vote being 155 to 154. It
seems, for reasons which are. not
easy to fathom, that lay members.
whose interest would be presumed to
be served by relaxation of th'e disci
pline, have lagged behind both the
bishops and the pastors in the move
ment for liberalizing the church law.
private reproof be given by the pastor or
class leader, and if there be acknowledg
ment of fault and proper humiliation, the
person may be borne with. On the second
offense the pastor or class leader may take
with tym one or two discreet member of
the church. On the third offense, let him
be brought to trial, and if found guilty and
there be no sign of real- humiliation, let
hint pe expelled.'
For this It is proposed to substi
tute Wesleyan admonition against
"taking such diversion as cannot be
used in the name of the Lord Jesus."
It is contended by proponents of re
vision that the legislation Introduced
In 1872, after a century of operation
under the rule given by Wesley to
his societies has been the cause of
constant irritation and of harmful
and disturbing discussion. The at
tempt to catalogue the forbidden
amusements, if persisted In, .would
entail periodic revision to keep it in
line with the changing times, and
this in itself would pycipitate de
plorable and inexpedient agitation.
The church, it seems to the revision
ists, has other and more important
work to do.
Demand for action by the official
governing body of the church is
based on the ground that the objec
tionable section has been the cause
of embarrassing misunderstandings,
and that it has not helped to build
up true religious character. Plea
for retention rests on belief that a
check on the spirit of wordllness is
stiN desirable, and that this is fur
nished by the statute in question.
But it is in evidence that church
trials are fewer than ever, while
members are suspected of open vio
lation of both the letter and the.
spirit of the law. If, however, re
vision is accomplished, there will be
retained in the discipline, under the
heading of "advice," the following,
which it is contended by the re
visionists will fully serve the exi
gencies of every situation:
Improper amusements and excessive in
dulgence in innocent amusements are se
rious barriers to the beginning of the re
ligious iife and fruitful causes of spiritual
decline. Some amuFements in common axe
are positively demoralising and furnish' the
first easy steps to total loss af character.
We therefore look with deep concern on
the great increase of amusements, and on
the general prevalence of harmful amuse
ments, and -lift up a note of warning and
solemn entreaty, particularly against theater-going,
dancing and such games of
chance as are frequently associated with
gambling, all of which have been found
to be antagonist! to .vital ' piety, produc
tive of worldliness and especially per
nicious to youth. -We affectionately ad
monish our people to make -their amuse
ments the subject of careful thought and
prayer, to study the subject uf amuse
menu in the lieht of their tendencies.
SCIENCE AND THE SPIRIT MESSAGE.
Psychology no less than the whole
structure of scientific teaching is on
trial with the lapse back to belief in
spirit agencres and in unrecognized
forces which has been i among the
evidences of intellectual upheaval
following the world war, as Joseph
Jastrow, professor of psychology in
the University of Wisconsin, points
out in an article on "Spiritualism
and Science" in the Review of Re
views. Professor Jastrow holds that
science has a concrete social mission
to perform, in the midst of its ab
stractions; that scientists are not ex
empt from the responsibilities im
plied by leadership. "Public think
ing," he holds, "must bear the im
press of scientific quality," and "the
distinction between truth and error,
the protection from half-truths and
specious counterfeits is, in many as
pects, a charge upon the scientific
mind." Civilization, he adds, is sus
tained by the vigor of the intellec
tual Instinct, "by training in the se
vere discipline of experiment and ob
servation in the spiritual and mental
relations." One can imagine on read
ing Professor Jastrow's conclusions
drawn from the recent revival of the
ancient belief in spirits how whole
heartedly he would endorse' the dic
tum of Francis Bacon, that "though
religion can imagine the purpose of
God, the business of the scientist is
to understand the casual sequence
of nature as controlled by the es
sences of the phenomena." The sci
entist demands proof, and in this in
stance he finds that proof is lacking.
Professor Jastrow goes further, and
contends that "use of prestige as a
physicist in behalf of propaganda
for belief in'spirits" is a violation of
the duty of the scientist to "correct
misleading tendencies whenever and
wherever they appear." The allu
sion to Sir Oliver Lodge and other
men of distinction who have recently
espoused spiritualism is not obscure.
Conclusion that scientists In gen
eral do not regard Sir Oliver Lodge's
position as tenable rests on the re
sult of a questionnaire conducted by
the Wisconsin psychologist. Letters
were addressed to about half the
members of the American psycho
logical association and to the entire
membership of the National Acad
emy of Sciences. The replies, 150 in
number, represent 80 psychologists
and 70 scientists. These were asked
whether or not they endorsed a brief
statement in general effect as follows:
what Professor Jastrow calls the
"general instability issuing from the
proved insecurity of the social, po
litical and educational institutions
upon which the twentieth century
had pinned its faith." "The strong
holds of reason have had to resist
the fierce onslaught of passion and
prejudice, leaving the issue in doubt."
The concern of scientists is not alone
with the evidence, but also with prin
ciple and procedure. The challenge
of psychical research Is a challenge
to apply the methods of the scien
tific laboratory, rather than those of
emotionalism and of the dark room.
If consistenly applied it would require
the physicist to leave room in his equations,
expressing the laws of matter for the In
tervention of "psychic" forces: It would
posit x-rays and clairvoyance as alternate
methods of diagnosis. For it must not te
forgotten that the responsible leaders of
belief in spirit Rgency claim for their
phenomena the sanction of scientific proof.
In such an amazing production as Pro
fessor Crawford's alleged demonstration of
spirit -mechanics, a photograph of the
adolescent medium and of prespure bal
ances and of lines of force appear as
equally evidential exhibits In the case.
There is also, as one of Professor
Jastrow's correspondents indicates,
an amazing capacity in human na
ture for developing a high degree of
psychic tolerance, without impair
ment of social sanity, for erroneous
beliefs. It seems that there is less
to be apprehended from these, how
ever, than from the "forms of rseudo
science which, in the masquerade of
science itself, confuse our thought,
muddle our logic and arrest scientific
progress. Professor Jastrow thinks
that "for these cumulative reasons
the reaction of men of science to
such menaces to their calling is na
turally somewhat emphatic ahd de
termined." He is careful also to dis
claim desire to revert to the anti
quated method of authority through
refutation of statements of opinion
by a collection of opinions. Yet "to
attach special weight to the conclu
sions of persons with special quali
fications is in no sense a return to
the argument of authority, but the
inevitable and the common-sense
practice in all issues affecting the
guidance of conduct and belief." The
preponderant judgment of the scien
tists represented by the Jastrow list
makes it plain "that "the revival of
belief In spirits And unrecognized
forces is regardea as an undesirable
citizen in the intellectual domain."
The high price of garden plants
need not deter enthusiastic garden
ers this season from making plans
to beautify their home grounds. It
is not as well known as it ought to
bo that many wild plants. are easy
to transplant and that under cultiva
tion they do even better than in their
natural habitat. The chief factor in
availability for the purpose is ease in
transplanting without ' check of
growth, but this is easily determined
and wild flowers in the home garden
bring their own reward.' The early
violets are among those best adapted
to home cultivation in Oregon, but
there are many other varieties in this
state familiar to nature lovers. Avail
ability is often determined by acci
dent of situation, and plants which
have made themselves shallow root
systems are best for the purpose.
There is no, reason why any Orego
nian with a square foot of land
should lack flowers to plant in it..
BY rRODl'CTS OK TUB TIMES
IVnnrirn I.-sr Disorgsniirs Railroad
. t
Charles Wilson and his peg leg dis-j
organized the Tyrone & Clearfield
railroad system in Pennsylvania for a
day so far as schedules go.
"The Hemlock Special," as it is
known, rolled from the Clearfield, ra.,
station for Tyrone, with the best of
intention, and for once, on time.
Wilson got on the train at Gram
pian, Pa. '
As the train started he' left his seat
and made hie way toward the water
cooler, but never reached there.
A sudden jerk, a bang and Charley
brought his wooden leg down on thfc
old floor of the older coach a bit hard
and the "business end" of the stump
kept right on its way, cutting'
through the ancient air hose, into tne
mechanism of the air-brake coupling
and, despite- the most strenuous ef
forts of its ownfr, stuck where it
landed.
The train stopped quicker than this
is told.
Conductor Farrell, carpenter emeri
tus of the branch road, secured his
tools and persoifa.1 wrecking crew
and all hands set to work to remove
the "potato masher" of Charleys
from its perilous position.
The old "peg" is made of hickory
and Charley is proud of It, conse
quently he did not take kindly to Di
rector in General Farrell's proposition
"that they could save time by sawing
ir off."
Charley's yell at this proposition
brought Sheriff Gorman, who was
dozing in a seat, and he backed the
Grampian man to the limit. "
The peg must not be mutilated.
Hickory is too scarce and too high
these days.
Baffled but not beaten. Farrell. with
his crew, aided and abetted by .the
sheriff, after 60 minutes' hard work
succeeded in retrieving Wilson's run
ning gear and the limited again took
up its weary way.
In speaking of the happening. Con
ductor Farrell declared he could not
understand why the floor gave way
under the impact of "Wilson's peg,"
as to his knowledge that same floor
had been in use in that same car for
32 years, and the like had never
occurred before. Cleveland" Flaii;
Dealer.
Possibilities.
By Grace K. Hall.
Put seir aside a little while.
And if your path geetas lone.
Be sure another needs your smile.
The kindness of-your tone;
So oft in loneliness we err
By keeping quite apart.
And seldom does the thought occor
Of another's empty heart
Why, there are moments in each life
So vital with distress.
That Just a smile amid the strife
Means more than you tan guess;
I've had a cheery greeting-bring
New impetus and cheer,
When hone had spread its magic wing
And left me numb with fear.
Two may be walking side by side
Upon life's weary round.
Yet never cross the chasm wide
By friendly glance or sound.
When each might find, if he'd but try,
A friend and comrade true
O pause a bit in passing by.
And learn who walks by you!
A MAY WISH.
O, would I were a weaver of words
Sufficiently clever to say
In a beautiful oudenarde of lines
All 1 know of the charms of May:
On an emerald warp of grassy strands
A woof of apple-bloom shreds
I'd weave, along with the colorful
tones
Of rainbowed flower-beds.
That done O, what would I do for
this?(
Why, I'd screed the beauty that lies
In the petals of sweet forgetmenote.
For the blue in her lamb's-wool
skies.
When finished IJd carefully needle in
The brightness-' of golden strings.
For the glorious glow of her sunshine
spread.
And the soul-warming cheer she
brings.
But alas, I bungle these perfect
threads.
For a novice unskillful am I.
Till they knot and snarl on my stupid
loom -No
matter how hard I try.
And I know that only a laureate's pen
Should attempt her thus to portray:
For of all the wonderful months of
the year
None beggar description like May.
EDITH J. FER.NOT.
The best thing that could "happen
to Mexico would be for the United
States to Cubanize it by starting the
people to organize self-government.
then stand aside ready to intervene
whenever t'Tiey undertook to settle
their political controversies by war
instead of the ballot. Not that the
American people want the "job. If
they did, they would have driven
President Wilson to drop watchful
waiting long ago. They delayed
action for thirty years before they
acted in Cuba. No gang of capital
ist exploiters can goad them into
tackling it, but the Mexicans them
selves can. The American people
will tolerate murder and uproar next
door just so long, then will step
over and stop it. That is what they
did in Cuba in 1898 and It Is what
they may ultimately do in Mexico.
The Mexicans might kick and bite in
protest, but they would soon learn
to like the medicine.
. The last legislator to cast a favor
able ballot in the last state required
to ratify the suffrage amendment
will lack only the qualification of be
ing ten years dead to entitle him au
tomatically to a niche in the Hall of
Fame. 1
The. revival of belief in spirits . . .
is a striking example of the will to be
lieve, in which an emotional prejudice ob
scures the weakness of the evidence. So
far as concerns the physical phenomena.'
they have invaribiy been shown to be the
result of fraud. The psychical phenomena
are more complex. Most of them are of
the nature of revelation of private details
apparently unknown to the medium. There
is reason to conclude that such revelations
may be ascribed to the accredited formu
lae of psychology, including subconsc!ous
indications, automatism of a dissociated
personality, as well as shrewd "fishing"
and reading of slight indications fur
nished by the sitters. The a-ommon ten
dency to herald the results of "psychical
research" as of like status with the ac
cepted principles of science Is pernicious
and should be checked.
Summarizing, and disregarding
fine distinctions, 130 out of 150 in
dorse the statement oZ the para
graph, thirteen do not reply and
seven do not Indorse it. In a large
majority of instances replies show
belief that evidence? for spirit com
munication is totally unconvincing.
The same is substantially true as to
telepathy, although there are more
replies with reservations under this
heading. "The fssue in regard to
telepathy is peculiarly decisive be
cause it Is a field open to experi
mental determination," Professor
Jastrow remarks, and continues:
1 The elaborate and careful work of Pro
fessor J. E. Coover of Stanford University
tested the hypothesis by means of thou
sands of experiments and proved that the
proportion of correct "transfers" did not
exceed those accounted - for by chance;
that there was no higher percentage of
correct guesses when a vivid imagery and
an impression of correctness were pres
ent than when they were absent: that
those who regarded themselves as pos
sessed of unusual "psychic" powers (some
times actually receiving spirit-messages
during the experiment) were no more suc
cessful In transferring the impresHions
than were the ordinary subjects.
Home of the experiments of the Society
for Psychical Research showing trans
fer of thought were by detection and oth
ers by confession shown to be due to the
use of collusion and: shrewd reading of
slight indications. Other favorable ex
periments show lax conditions and de
fective interpretations.
Elihu Thomson, electrical Inventor,
makes the point against telepathy
that its record of failure when it'
ought to have worked is endless.
"Did a man taken prisoner in the
late war," he asks, "ever 'telepath'
his best and closest companions and
friends information of a sudden at
tack or "the like being prepared by
his captors?" The "age-long hun
ger' for miracles" asserts itself in
There is a 40 per cent shortage In
the "corn acreage because of lack of
labor for planting, which will inevi
tably be reflected in a shortage of
breakfast bacon for the workers who
are so busy building new filling stations.
The Mexican "workers" who seem
to believe that laVk of production is
to be remedied by more striking may
have caught the idea from their
more enlightened brethren" in the
United States.
the multitudes as a manifestation oti tuning up for Shrine week.
Emma Goldman is reported to be
homesick for the United States.
There must be something in the re
port that the bolshevists are enforc
ing the rule that everybody must go
to work.
California housewives are combat
ng the high price of bread by open
ing bakeries. If they will make real
home-made bread there won't be
much complaint about the price.'
A bounty on rats is a good clean
up week idea, and there a're other
things, such as rubbish In backyards,
that it ought not to take a bounty to
induce good citizens to get rid of.
.A Nebraska husband is advertising
a reward of S10 for information as
to the whereabouts of his wife. "A
good wife," as the sage of Pun
kinville remarked, "ought to be
worth it."
Spring 'reacts variously on our
citizens. Some plant potatoes, some
go fishing, and some only complain
that the sun is "always too hot in
Oregon."
We winder how many of those
who were clamoring for overalls will
be satisfied this summer with last
season's straw lid.
Pope, who "lisped in numbers," had
the moral courage to burn all his
childish and boyish verse, including
the epic, "Alexander." He took no
chance of posthumous publication.
When little Tom Macaulay was 7
years old he wrote a "Compendium of
Universal History," beginning with
the Creation, and when he was S a
heroic poem on "Olaus the Great."
It was natural that his mother should
have cherished those proofs of early
talent and have shown them occa
sionally to friends; but, as his neph
ew, Mr. Treveiyan, neatly observes,
"If the affection of one generation
has preserved them intact, the piety
of another generation refrains from
submitting them to the public."
A distinguished book collector has
had printed for his own pleasure, and
for, the pleasure of his friends, the
"History of Moses," composed by
Robert Louis Stevenson when he was
6 years old and dictated to his moth
er. The tiny volume is embellished
with a facsimile of Mrs. Stevenson's
manuscript and with a delightful il
lustration in water colors from the
nana ot tne little prodigy. It rep
resents the Israelites hilariously
leaving Egypt. They smoke long
pipes and carry umbrellas and bun
dles. One of them pauses long enough
to beat, a protesting Egyptian over
the head. The narrative is both com
prehensive and concise. It won a
prize from a generous uncle in lSoB.
and it is today as good an example
of infant authoriship as we are likely
to read. Youth's Companion.
.
Giving up a $100 a week job in or
der to go to college because he real
ised that success depended upon a
broader vision meant more than giv
ing up a good job for Arthur Mur
ray, a young student of the Georgia
School of Technology, who tells his
experiences In the current issue of
Forbes magazine (N. Y.). It meant
finding something to do that would
pay the expenses of three younger
brothers and support himself as well.
No jobs being offered, he decided to
create one and promptly did so by be
coming a dancing teacher, and danced
and taught so well he now very easily
earns $15,000 a year. This did not in
terfere with his studies but his path
was not all strewn with flowers. "To
teach boys and girls to dance in large
groups is now a simple matter," says
this ambitious young' man, "but it
was a trying matter at first.
"After sitting still at school all dayi
children apparently are very willing
to break up the furniture and to trip
one another. Their favorite pastime
is to slide across the slippery ballroom
floor. It is much easier to play than
to concentrate on difficult dancing
steps. In order to handle them suc
cessfully, I employed a big. husky
assistant to act as policeman. The
results were highly satisfactory."
They must be because at thi date
Mr. Murray is the instructor of the
world's largest dancing class.
There was no such place as Beacon,
N. Y at the time of the 1910 census,
but now the city of that name re
ports a population of 10.996. The ex
planation is that in 1913 FishkiU
Landing and Matteawan were incor
porated under the new designation.
FishkiU Landing, on the 'other
hand, has a familiar sound in Provi
dence. It was the western goal of
the orgatiizers of the Providence.
Hartfoxd & FishkiU railroad of more
than half a century ago a road that
afterwards became the Hartford,
Providence & FishkiU, and later suc
cessively a part of the Boston. Hart
ford & Erie, the New YoVk & New
England, the New England and the
New York, New Haven & Hartford.
The history of the 200-mile stretch
of track from Providence to Beacon
thus fairly epitomizes the history of
railroad change and consolidation in
the United States as a whole during
the last two generations. Providence
Journal.
the
MOTHER.
Whose hand has helped me o er
stones.
And led me all these years?
Whose hand oft' soothed my fevered
brow,
Qr brushed away my tears?
Whose lif s spoke words of cheer
That drove away my cares?
Whose lips asked God to care for me.
In all their daily prayers?
Whose eyes have gleamed with love
light. As they watched me day and night?
Whose eyes filled with sorrow
If "they saw me in some plight?
Whose love has taught me right from
wrong.
And kept me from all sin?
Whose love Jias been my daily
strength
To fight the fights within?
Who taught me first my A. B. C's
With patience never dying?
Who taught me how to figure and
count.
And made me keep on trying?
What name is written on my soul?
There ne'er can be another.
No word can ever be to me
The equal of just "Mother."
ELLEN RYAN.
PURPOSE.
The sculptor's chisel cuts the stone
In which a sleeping angel lies.
And blow by blow he purposes
To bid the lovely form arise.
The glaciers which divide the hills.
And wear the deepening valleys
down.
Are nature's never-ceasing mills
From which the soils of earth are
drawn.
On which are blown the gul and vine.
The gentain and the waving wheat.
The cedarn wood, the tufted grass.
The windflower and the spikenard
sweet.
So bright in every lofty scheme
Where failure and success are met
The furnaces refining gleam.
The millstones of design are set.
The foot which dares the mountain
steep
Must know the weight of weari
ness; The heart which- would redeem itself
Shall ache with many a sore dis
tress. ,
Yet none will grieve at such a price
Since 'Truth and Fame to such
aspire;
It is the storm on Herkend's sea
Wh'ch makes each billow glow with
fire.
GUY FITCH PHELPS.
The mercurial disposition of those
Parisians will be symbolized by the
new fashion of wearing wings on
the feet.
Messenger boys on skates promise
to reveal hitherto unsuspected possi
bilities in the once-popular' "slow
race." m
Perhaps the weather man is just
Major Blank, in his dugout, wrote
a message and handed it to a colored
runner. "Read this carefully," he
said, "and then deliver it to Captain
Parks, company C. If anything hap
pens, destroy the message and deliver
it verbally to Captain Parks."
Ten minutes later the major looked
up to see the runner still there. "What
are you doing here?" he shouted.
"When I give ai order I want it
obeyed at once!"
"Lawd. major." replied the fright
ened man. "I can't read rcadin'. let
alone writin'." Everybody's Maga
zine .
MOTHER'S DAY.
She greets me in the morning, when
from slumber 1 arise:
She softly sings at twilight, when the
sandman shuts my eyes;
She soothes my little aches and pains.
my troubles of the day.
She smiles and says such loving
words, it drives them all away;
She plays my games and romps with
me, as good as any kid;
She shows me where on baking day,
the cookie jar Is hid;
O, mother's awful good to me and
when-1 am a man
I'll be just as good to her and help
her all I can:
And now, a day they've set apart, her
praises for to tell.
And wear a flower, white as snow,
pinned in their coat lapel;
I don't understand it, and with
them I can't agree,
"Mother's Day." in my short life,
is every day with me.
EVELYN RITA GREEN.
But
For.
where: hast thou gluaxed
TODAY f
The golden gates of sunset
Are elowly swinging wide.
And the weary work of the day
Is gladly laid aside.
But I am thinking, thinking.
Now ttiat the day is done.
Has it been for me,
"Love's labor lost or won"?
The hurts of the little children
I've kissed them all away.
Poured oil on the troubled waters.
When arose a childish fray.
But has any heart been lightened
By some kind work of mine?
Has any sky been brightened
Where there was no ray of shine?
Has a message from my Savior
Healed a broken heart.
And 1. in the joy of giving.
Had e'en the smallest part?
N. S. KEASKT.
Twl LIGHT.
We love night's aawn. the twilrght
gray.
When we feel day's parting hand.
When the trees are hushed and the
rough winds crushed
And the hills in splendor stand.
But we love night best for its quiet
rest.
For the hope and strength it brings.
For the calm black night in its west
ward flight
Bears healing in its wings.
RAYMOND E. BAKER.