1L
MANY PROBLEMS OF THE DAY BRING OUT ASSORTMENT OF VIEWS
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Questions Before City, State syid National Governments Discussed by Various Writers Who Seek to Shed New Light on Situations.
TIIE SUNDAY OREGONIAN PORTLAND, JANUARY 22, 1922
CRITIC HELD INCONSISTENT
Why Criticise Harding and Hughes
and Uphold Wilson?
PORTLAND, Jan. 14. (To the Edi
tor.) The wr'ter has read, with con
siderable amusement, a letter in The
Sunday Oregonlan by William Blttle
Wells scoring the rejection of the
league of nations by America and lay
ing it all to ignorance (by Inference)
of the American people and to "parti
san politics."
Mr. Wells probably will recall that
somewhat dver a year ago there was
a "solemn referendum" called by the
greatest player of partisan politics
who ever occupied the presiaentiai
chair and that after due and careful
consideration "partisan politics" was
repudiated by several million voters,
many of whom must have voted for
the great partisan politician some
four years previously.
Mr. Wells is already dooming to
failure the present statesmanship of
President Harding and Secretary
Hughes, but dooming to failure is a
chronio habit of his. He has been full
of dooms and gloomy forebodings
since Willie Jenruie Bryan was de
feated in his 16 to 1 campaign, when
Mr. Wells cast his first vote. In fact
ail republican administrations have
been great failures (in advance) and
the country under each successive one
lias been doomed to SO to the eternal
iow-wowa. but still we nave wagged.
along pretty well during the past
26 years.
Mr. Wells belongs to a party which
has always believed. in states rights
and has a record as opposed to a
strong centralized fedarai govern
ment, but where in all our history
have we an example of a president
who took, through hsl party In con
gress, every veotage of power that
was to be had and became In fact a
greater autocrat than the czar of all
the Kussias, and to top It all, tried to
found a super-government through
"my league of nations and refused to
listen to a single reservation which
would protect our republic.
The people knew pretty well what
they were doing In the last election
and' had probably studied the ques
tion pretty thoroughly before voting,
and were certainly ready to have done
with partisan politics and to get back
to a democratic form of government.
and 1 believe but few are ashamed
should be elected, and that the ony
known man who would keep us ryut
was President Wilson. Yet in la-ss
than five months Mr. Wells was ha.ll
Ing Mr. Wilson as great and nobleAfor
his declaration of that same war- he,
and he only, was to keep us from.
"Oh consistency, thou art a Jeweflf."
As a prop-he t I will have to (class
our letter writer as among the tfalse
ones and am willing to go into a
prophesying contest with him anid let
future generations Judge the winner.
My prophecy is that Woodrow Wilson
will go down in history as a man who
had one of the greatest opportunities
ever presented to a human being and
who made the greatest failure
f through partisan politics.
Mr. Wells speaks of "combinations
of nations" which this cjoantry la
trying to form. In what particular
is the present combination different
than the one which Mr. WSlson "sat
in" with. Call the roll England,
France, Italy. The representatives of
those nations were the onty ones pre
sumably, with which he cared to
match minds, the other and lesser
ones cooled their heels org the outside
and could gain no infonjmation even
with the promise of; "covenants
openly arrived at." Yea, the present
administration has srflendld prece
dents In its "comblnatiinna."
I would recommend (hat Mr. Wells
read carefully SecreUary Lansing's
book, and then with eaiual care, that
of Private Secretary Tomulty. and use
as explanatory notesj the able edi
torial in The Oregonlan of January
S, before again wrltifaig on partisan
politics. READER.
CRIME CETS LEGAL IMPETUS
Courts and Lawyers Blamed for
Much of Laavlcssncss.
PORTLAND. Jan. 19. (To the Edi
tor.) In reading tiie papers one can
aot help but reach 'the conclusion that
the most prolific cause of crime in
this country is the court and the law
yer. The average lawyer or Judge
does not look at the moral side, but
the legal. No lawyer is condemned
by his colleagues for the means used
In winning his case.
No matter what the crime, you can
always find a lawyer to take the case
If the client has the money. A man
will have confessed to murder, yet as
soon as he gets a lawyer he changes
tils plea to not guilty by advice of
his lawyer (perjury?) and that same
lawyer will put a witness . on the
stand, knowing that the witness has
iteen "seen" and also knowing the
guilt of his client. He wtl fight for
days to get a man on the Jury, who
' will "hang" the Jury; sometimes for
money and again for political, ra
cial, or religious beliefs. If he wins
Ills case the other lawyers congratu
late him.
The courts. Instead of mixing In a
little common sense, stick right to
the letter of the law. In this connec
tion I cite the case of the Judge in
the trial of Governor Small of Illinois,
on charges of embezzling state funds,
who quashed all the indictments
against him, except one. on the fol
lowing grounds: "A missing word":
"the position of a name": three er
rors In drawing indictments and the
shuffling of a pile of papers. We do
not know as to the truth of the
charges against Governor Small, but
the place to disprove them Is before
a Jury and not by technicalities.
Another Instance is where the fore
man of the Sangamon county grand
Jury signed his name in the wrong
place on the back of an Indictment,
and so it went into the discard.
In the neighboring state of Wash
ington we have the edifying spectacle
of seeing the lawyer who framed the
capital punishment law appearing In
court on behalf of a client attempt
ing to prove that that same law la
unconstitutional. We have three mur
derers In our penitentiary who were
convicted by Juries and yet we can
cot hang them because someone
scraped up enough money to hire a
lawyer to carry the matter to the
etupreme court, and although we voted
In favor of hanging, and the law was
framed by lawyers, yet we cannot
ban the guilty. Is it any wonder
that life Is cheap and that crime is
rampant, when all you need is the
money to hire a smart lawyer?
I have many good mends among
lawyers and would take their word
or lend them money, or even trust
them with a bottle of bonded goods,
but all this outside of the courtroom.
"Win your case" is their motto. I
believe in the Intention of the law,
but not In the way It is generally In
terpreted and executed and when It
comes to a lot of lawyers I am like
Gabriel in the story that John Hays
Hammond tells:
"A millionaire who had died aad
ot the result TC " " " ""ul ""is i sei
When President Wilson ran for of-fc'"" wul
flee the second time on hi. fake cry'n J ' ue "br 5,?. S
of "he kept us out of war." I can stillf J"""' .P0", J" "UPPS "
recall Mr Wells' awful prophecies of fj.01,," "u'd Zlii Xl. "I Z
war and desolation If Mr. Hughe ?"uiA me ,h'm al
started to heaven was met at ts e gate
by St. Peter. "What have yon ever
done,' asked Peter, 'to give yooan ex
cuse to be let Into heaven T
"'Well, answered the rich wan, aft
er some thought, I once gays, a poor
eld woman a nickel.'
" "I guess that's worth t. little to
you,' said Peter, and, turning to Gab-
, riel. who was keeping .he record,
said: 'Put that down.'
" 'Now, rich man, whatt else?
" 'One cold, rainy night' answered
me millionaire, a little Oewsboy, who
was crying because he, hadn't been
able to sell any of hlaj papers, came
up to me, and 1 bought a paper.
"Well," said Peter., doubtfully, 1
don't know. How ablaut that. Gab
riel? What do you tbAnkr
"'Oh.' snapped . GaLrlel. 'give him
back his 6 cents and tell him to go
to hell.' " C. 1. ' J.iriTT.
ALL MEN HELD POLYGAMOUS
Wives Advised tot Rear Families So
as to Have Company When Old.
PORTLAND, Ju. 11. (To the Edi
tor.) We were tall glad of Eve's good
luck and so it if for the poor fellow
confined to hid bed, and I read with
interest the loiter signed "LXL" Why
is It that glrfcj like "Lxr" tells of do
not meet 'men of their own class" at
their churchjers or at their work? Per
sonally I know a lot of young girls
who have snet very fine young men
and later married them. They had
worked in Mia same offices and stores.
Of course our country needs just
these girl, these good girls, for wives
nd mothers, but I am not so sure as
"LXI" serema to be that 'such folks
never find the divorce oourst.' I hap
pen to Acnow women who were Just
that krhd of girls who have been
forced Onto the divorce courts because
the ream they married found a "pret
tier face" or perhaps a woman who
"understood him better." What la the
matt el-with such men? When "Mary-Slt-by-the-Flre"
finds her man she
had. better rear a family, for very
likrjy he will have a lonely old age
anil, 'sit by the fire' alone again, un
less she has some children for com
paeriy. n. think "LXI" will agree with me
111 at a man needs "to be disgraced
gbr life" who will let a "hussy" mulct
Mm for thousands of dollars for
r breach of promise." If men were not
young folks should marry." I first
read it "The young fools should
marry", and that is as good as the
other way. "WTiere Ignorance Is bliss
'twere folly to be wise." By all means
let them marry, and let them be happy
in their "home" and "babies" and "big
plans" for a delightful future, and let
us hope they may find "all their
dreams coma- true," but I must tell
these girls that, perhaps, some day
they will have a big Job on their
hands to convince "friend husband"
that it is Just "one wife" he wants,
Instead of three or four.
A friend of mine told me that she
and her husband could live, and live
well, on what It cost him to live by
himself, so that is no excuse for a
man being a bachelor. Man is a po
lygamlst by nature. "Let the man
who la not one (in his heart) beave
the first brick. VL.
MR. BRYAN IS CRITICISED
Writer Declares There Is Harmony
Between Science and Religion.
ASHLAND, Or.. Jan- 1J. (To the
Editor.) If Mr. Bryan would read the
Bible as It is written I think he
would find there Is harmony rather
than discord between science and re
ligion In the story of man's creation
as recorded In Genesis. History is
truth. If It Isn't truth It Isn't history.
Science Is truth. If it Isn't truth It
Isn't science.
Christians of today, instead of
"searching the scriptures" as com
manded, are prone to accept and hold
fast to doctrines and dogmas of the
middle ages, when civilisation was at
Its lowest level: when one had to go
about In a black robe and a face like
a cemetery gate to prove that he was
religious.
We are carried to Sunday school In
the arms of our parents. We are
placed In" the infant class and hear
the teacher read the story of man's
creation. Our childish mind can only
grasp the Idea of the making of a
man out of the dry dirt (probably
having in mind the snowman made by
boys), then God blowing at It and
seeing It Jump Into life. Ask the
teacher to explain it and he or she
will express the same Idea. Go right
down the centuries and we get a sim
ilar story from every generation. Jo
sephus, the Jewish historian, about
the time of Christ, said "Adam was a
red man because the red clay was the
purest kind of clay," showing the
same thought.
And God said, "Let us make man In
our own image." "So God formed man
out of the dust of the earth and
breathed Into his nostrils the breath
of life and man became a living soul."
If "God is a spirit:" If "No man hath
seen the Father at any. time" then by
making man in God's own Image we
must infer that man thus created
would have been Invisible, were it not
added that he was also of the dust
of the earth.
Fact Is. up to that time man was
not Imbued with mental and spiritual
faculties, but was only a creature
with animal Instincts, and the culmin
ation of God's handiwork was a man
with a living soul, capable of dis
cerning the difference between good
and evil. So if Instead of putting
stress on the creature-making as the
childish mind does, we emphasise the
other words In the sentence, such as
the "dust of the earth" to Indicate
that his development was after the
land became dry, and "breath of life"
or "living soul" we may find a deeper
meaning In the narrative which will
harmonize with both science and re
ligion. W. D. RILET.
OFFICIALS NOT DOING DUTli
Too Many Judges Declared Pa
trons of Bootlegger.
PORTLAND, Jan. 11. (To the Edi
tor.) I am not given to promiscuous
letter writing, but I desire to make
an exception this once, and commend
Tha Oregonlan for its timely and true
observations in its leading editorial
January 11.
Too many well-meaning peopls re
gard the 18th amendment as a Joke,
and too many of our peace officers
and Judges are patrons of the boot
legger and not doing their sworn
duty in the enforcement of the pro
hibition law. Prohibition is cot the
only law that Is difficult to enforce.
The public officer who cannot fear
lessly enforce the law has no tlace la
our system and should confess his
failure and resign from an office be
is not fit to occupy.
Well, thank you araln, and keep up
the good work. SAMUEL CONNELL.
L4 . . U fc.l 1 - 1 . . .... . - .
DEBS WELCOME DEPLORES
Terre Haute Newspaper Declares
Greeting; Sets Bad Example. -PORTLAND,
Jan. II. (To the
Editor.) I was somewhat chagrined
whan I read In the dally papers of
Portland about the immense crowds
that gathered in my old home town.
Terra Haute, IndL, to welcome Eugene
Debs back from fedesal prison in
Atlanta, while Mr. Debs has always
bad splendid friends in his boms city,
be has never had a large following,
and this outpouring mystified me.
I was glad to learn the "true in
wardness" of the reception tendered
Mr. Debs as given In the Inclosed
clipping from a thoroughly reliable
Terre Haute paper, and feel that this
part of the world oheuld be informed
thereof.
The pathetic picture given in the
press of the aged white-haired wife
bowed with grief and suffering
awaiting her husband In their plain
and simple home gave the wrong idea
of Mrs. Debs, who Is one or the
handsomest women I ever met. Very
tall, ruddy, youthful face, crowned
with wonderful white hair gray or
white for many years commanding
in appearance, handsomely dressed,
there is nothing about Mrs. Debs
that would even remotely suggest
age or suffering. Loyal to her hus
band, of course, Mra Debs holds her
own council and goes her own way
In the midst of old friends with won
derful calmness at all times.
The Debs horns is not a poor, plain
structure by any means, but quite
h!!-6?-!?.?; fiin? .,,.t,,.?
best residence sections of the city, it
Is a substantial home with all mod-
ern conveniences, built some 20 years
ago. Its ultra-modern architecture
created quits a sensation at the time,
I remember.
Perhaps it would not be out of
place for me to remark that my hus
band and I have known the Debs
famtly for over 36 years, living within
a few blocks of their home for 16
years. CARRIE B. ADAMS.
The clipping from the Terre Haute
Saturday, Spectator follows:
Reading wrongly the attitude of the
public mind, alayor Charles R. Hunter
made the last act of hla administration
one of his worst official blunders, ordering
the fire bells to be rung for Gene Debs.
It has coma to pass that the outside world
may well look at this city as one that has
reverence only for men who have been
garbed In prison stripes.
Less than 1AOO men and women gathered
from the surrounding territory marched
in the Usbs parade. A large part of this
number carried banners to show their alle
giance to foreign governments.
In the crowd of the curious at the nnlon
station there were 8000 to 10.000. mostly
people who had flocked there to see. as a
free show, the movie cameras work, to
hear the bands play, and to be on hand for
whatever excitement that might be pre
sented. It was by no means a crowd com
posed wholly of citizens doing homage to
Debs. The cheering when Debs appeared
was not great, nor was It prolonged. It
was a hearty welcome from a fair portion
or the crowd, but not one ox wild eathu
siasm.
While possibly S per cent of the popu
latlon of Terre Haute sympathized with
Debs' attitude during the war, the mayor
ordered the fire bells to peal aa official
Joyful acclaim that Terrs Haute had
townsman who knew no loyalty to the
flag when his country was in trouble. And
thus when children asked their parents
what the tinging of the fire bells meant.
they had to be told their city's official
attitude toward patriotism was to Ignore
the soldiers who died In the trenches that
there - might be the appearance of great
homage for a citizen of strange traits, a
citizen who would conduct himself so con
spicuously against the nation's welfare
that the Germans themselves could not
have planned his leadership to be more In
the Interest of the Huns.
Not an American flag was borne In the
parade for the man that the fire bells
acclaimed. Not an American flag; was
In evidence at the anion station. The one
exception was a boy with flags and horns
to sell. The horns were bought readily.
But the Debs folks did not think enough
or the American riag to bother about the
stars and stripes, which might detract
from the red so much in evidence on the
person of every marcher.
Such was the occasion for young Amer
ica to hear the pealing of fire bells, and
to make a great majority of citizens who
had signed a petition for Debs' release
regret their action:
It was sympathy for an old man, 're
ported to be in bad health, a man of gen
erous impulses and also of keen Judgment
for the effect of every action on the mul
titude that lead half of Terre Haute to
loin hands to liberate Debs. The home
coming was so sickening and smacked so
much of making a hero of a disloyalist
who could not have served Germany bet
ter, that It cast a gloom over Terre Haute.
For the mayor to seize the opportunity
to make a last misguided bid for popular
ity only to misjudge sentiment, sent to the
world a false Impression of the people of
this city.
May we have no more affairs of the
Roberts. Debs, Clark brand to do irrep
arable harm.
NEED OF CREATOR OUTLINED
Biologist's Admission Declared to
Be Real Advance.
WASHOUGAL, Wash., Jan. 12. (To
the Editor.) The recent dispatches
of Professor Bateson's declaration
concerning the origin of species and
evolution, together with your edi
torial of recent date on the origin of
life have been of such worth-while
Interest that perhaps you will grant
me brief space to consider the sub
ject from a different point of view.
Unlike the statement In your edi
torial, the Introduction of obscuran
tism of the biologist Is not a loss,
but rather a gain to mankind If we
put any value on the thought that
It is Impossible for the finite brain
to grsyjp the infinities.
The stone pages of the book of na
ture have been carefully separated
and Interpreted and the history of
our jglobe may be indexed in the
chapter of evolution, paragraphed
into geological ages and periods.. For
the materialist protoplasm probably
represents the peak line of human
reasoning, beyond which, however,
there Is an abyss of profound depth
that no chemical formula c; a com
bination of same may bridge, as there
Is no abutment on the farther side
fr the bridfre to rest upon.
The separation of radium from Its
ores and the observation of its be
havior by investigation shook the
atomic theory to Its very foundation.
The results of these investigators
added ions and electronic corpuscles,
'force as much as matter, thus Indi
cating that our conception of matter
may be erroneous.
Professor Einstein brought the In
finite within finite' limits, but he
does not tell us where the boundary
of the universe is. nor what there Is
on the other side of the fence. The
telescope of the astronomer reveals
cosmic dust thrown, into mighty
vortices, worlds In the making, we
are told, but even If so, we do not
know the why and wherefore of this
star dust, but we do know that it
took an Impulse to overcome the In
ertia of this matter forming the
worlds.
Since there Is always an "If" It
would seem that any line of human
Investigations having for its endpoint
the solution of the riddle of the uni
verse with the aid of the micro
scope and the analytical balance
must be always terminated with a
big question mark. It would seem
then that the biologist obscurantism
and his admission of his inability to
account for the origin of species is
not a loss to mankind, but rather a
gain. Humanity will eventually be
forced to the acceptance of the belief
that there is a governing divine mind
and wisdom back of it all. responsible
for our being here and that man Is
not an accidental product of the con
currence of brute forces acting with
out design, to flash Into conscious
being of the briefest moment only to
be extinguished In eternal darkness,
but a being Infinitesimal In com
parison, but yet Infinite. This belief
brings a breath of warmth In which
evolvement Is possible Just as great
as that which marks the difference
between the bizarre and grotesque
fcrms of the upper paleozoic and
mesozolc life and the Neanderthal
man, an evolution of mind perhaps
rather . than of physical body. The
theory of referring the origin of life
to the protoplasm is cold and unre
sponsive as though It had been born
In the temperature of absolute zero
of interstellar space,
H. BUECHE. ,
SMALL FARM PLAN DEFENDED
Movement to Provide for Needy
Persons Declared Vital.
NEW YORK!, Jan. 15. (To the Edi
tor.) The Oregonlan editorially
takes exception to my comparison in
"Three Acres and Liberty" between
average yields of potatoes in the
United States and in "a prize acre of
potatoes in Belgium of 11,000 bushels"
as theory. '
But "let us have the facts." In the
United States the ini vleM is
ibout 100 bushel'. " "ed; In Maine
J ,
anj? J" tern LoK Inland yields of
vuv uuaueis nre comiDOH.
From Its "theory" The Oregonlan
infers that "the movement to place
needy people on farms, which was at
its height about a decade ago, was a
failure, not because land was lack
ing, but because the human factor
was Ignored." "It iff a mistake," says
the editor, "to assume that the land
Is .the principal part of the farm. The
man who works the-land is even more
significant in production." Taxes are
more significant stllL
I have not advocated men going
"back to the farm." With farm lands
which produce 25 bushels of wheat
boosted up to $300 or $4 CM) an acre.
as In Iowa today, the man who goes
back to the farm" cannot stay there.
What I advocate Is that the unem
ployed in tha cities should be allowed
to cultivate Intensively small areas
in or near the city limits. At present
the extravagant prices of those lands,
mostly held Idle in Idle hands, make
this impossible.
Relieve the farmer from taxation
by taxing only the trifling rental
value of his land, and not taxing his
Improvements; and you will make it
possible for the man who wants to
work to get low priced farm land.
Then put all the taxes on city lots,
not on houses, and you will squeeze
out the holders who neither use them
nor will allow any one else to use
them unless they pay Inflated and
extravagant .prices. You will solve
the problem of unemployment In the
cities', you will reduce the cost of
living and you will have enough
money to pay for the needed expenses
of the cities.
Is that "theory?" If ay one thinks
so, I will give him more facts.
Finally, the theory of "back to the
land" came to several millions of war
gardens: a considerable number of
which you can still see in cultivation
from any suburban car window. So
they never "came to naught."
BOLTON HALL.
MR DIE HARD TAKEN TO TASK
"An American" Replies to Wail as
to Who Started War.
STAYTON, Or, Jan. 19. (To the
Editor.) Looking through The Ore
gonlan January 17 I saw a lettr
written by "Die Hard." I am sur
prised that any person writing thus
might aspire to call himself an
American citizen. The editorial con
cerning the allied debt- I think, cor
rectly stated th opinion of the ma
jority of the American pvople. It is
only one among many which repre
sents your fairness In dealing
editorially witii leading questions.
In his statement conoemilng ex
President WHson his attitude Is simi
lar to that of the kind and gentle
William Hohenzollem, Hindenburg
and the rutihJe-ss, murderinig Huns
who followed thorn.
I am a republican, but above all
I am an American citizen. I have the
deepest respect for Mr. Wilson.
I firmly believe In all his work. He
put forth his whole soul for the good
of the American people and the
world.
As to the starting of the war, we
see the mighty Belgians Invading un
protected Germany, while Holland
and Switzerland stand ready to pounce
upon and pillage the kultured cities
of the gentle Teutons, which wore
darkening under the black clouds of
the mighty English and French
hordes.
Oh, that you, too, Mr. D4e Hard,
destroyer of civilization, might nave
been able to meLrch beside your
brother Huns across Belgium Lnto the
heart of France. You, too. could have
pillaged Innocent homes, shot the lit
tle child, run your cruel sword
through the breast of the grief
stricken mother and then set a match
to what remained. You could wave
your bloody sword and shout In your
Innocence, "Gott la wi-tih us. We
shall win."
There are too many like you, Mr.
Die Hard, m our notion now. You
poison the minds of our children.
You undermine all that Is good and
righteous. You have no place &raoni
free American citizens.
AN AMERICAN.
FARMER UPHOLDS POLL TAX
Washington Law Declared Relief
and Rounds Up Floaters.
CAMAS. Wash, Jan. 20. (To the
Editor.) I respectfully protest your
gentle thrust at Washington's poll
tax. law. While taxes are more than
twice as high as in 1914, there are
thousands of farmers who, after de
ducting 1 or J per cent on their im
vestment, find that there Is abso
lutely nothing left for the many long
days of work during the last year,
taxes far overreaching the rental
value of their property.
It is a notorious fact that they who
pay little or no taxes are the nolsest
supporters of schemes for saddling
additional taxes onto tangible prop
erty, on the theory that It will "make
better times," and hasten the millen
lum of state socialism.
As no system of taxation yet de
vised Is equitable in every individual
case, some of your readers on this
side of the Columbia believe that
our legislature, through an indirect
method, did pretty well iif calling a
halt to this rapid confiscation of
property values by introducing thou
sands of voters to the pleasure ot
paying a tax in support of the
various governmental "activities."
C L. HOOVER. I
t . 1
HOPE HELD OCT FOR MARY
No Need of Sitting by Fire Alone,
6ays Contributor.
. PORTLAND, Jan. IL (To the Ed
j ltor.) After reading with keen ln
' terest the letters written concerning
I Mary - Sit - by - the - Fire, L a woman
who knows from experience, must
nave my say.
Why, oh why, does May sit by the
fire when the men of today are so
easy to catch? She cannot be a wide
awake modern American girL '
Men will fall for almost any sort of
girl as long as she Is attractive, has
plenty of pep and a good line of con
versation. Men want to be rushed
and made over. The girl that chases
them by phoning them, taking them
riding if she happens to have a car
and complimenting them on their
good looks and so forth, always gets
the men. Even bachelors, who are
supposed to be good sound men, are
as bad as the boy of the foolish age.
One bachelor, when asked by a young
woman why she hadn't heard from
him lately, calmly remarkedtthat he
never phoned or took out young
women who did not do likewise to
him.
Of course there are -exceptions, but
the ordinary girl of today will not
have anything to do with the fellow
who Is afraid to tell a good Joke,
who will not dance but would rather
stay home and read or play cards.
The girl of today Is looking for ex
citement, so she naturally picks up
the fellow that can show her a Jazzy
time. She refuses to be bored. The
butterfly Is the ruling queen of the
age. The old man chases her, as does
the young, and even the married man.
She knows what they want and she
Ejves it to them.
I actually feel sorry for Mary, but
she has no one to blame but herself.
She can be popular If she wishes.
She should make herself as attract
ive as possible, even bob her hair
and wear her skirts to her knees.
but, above all things, show a little
pep. She can then walk down Wash
ington street and cast a few "come
hither" glances at the classy dressed
fellows In front of the drugstore or
attend one of the publlo dance halls.
She won't lose her reputation by such
actions, as daughters from some of
Portland's best families are doing it
continually. All she needs is a little
nerve and confidence In herself.
If she succeeds In picking one up,
she must show him a good time, let
him take his time about taking her
home, let him think she believes all
he tells her and even sit on the front
porch with him when he suggests It.
Let her head fall on his shoulder, pet
him a little and she can figure on
seeing him again within a few days.
The Portland boy is Indeed a good
mixer, but, as a rule, he mixes with
the butterfly type. If Mary is not a
butterfly or does not wish to be, she
can easily Join a club and attend
church. Mary, Indeed, has no one to
blame but herself.
ONE WHO KNOWS.
ACCUSATIONS ARE RESENTED
Franklin High Y Club Denies Cor
set and Other Charges.
PORTLAND. Jan. 20. (To the Edi
tor.) Dancing In our high schools
csnnot be abolished. It constitutes
the only form of social activity that
all students may have a part In.
The many clubs In our schools raise
money through the source of dancing.
Take it away and these clubs, who
contribute much money to the student
body fund and athletic fund, will
cease to exist.
Do the ones who want It abolished
exactly know what they are talking
about and know our position? We
must keep our present refutation,
which is one of the best. An observer
at one of our dances will find our
morals up to the highest standard
and that we are properly chaperoned.
They (the observers) see a couple
whose morals are low, and they ;udge
the rest by them. Most every time
yes, every time they are not students
of any school at all. During the past
three years only one couple, has been
put off our floor. Why Judge the rest
by one illiterate couple? But that is
the way ot some people; they see only
their side of the question.
The creed of the Methodist Is pro
hibitive. "Thou shalt not do this, and
thou shalt not do that." The creed
of one church cannot be the creed of
alL This may affect the members of
the Methodist church, but when they
enforce their creed on others they
are going too far. A few who do not
favor dancing have no right to stop
enjoyment of the majority. The duty
of a church is to raise people to a
high standard, yet this must be done
on a constructive, not destructive,
policy.
They who are doing this have 18th
century Ideas, not 20th century ideas.
Let them look at our side of the ques
tion for a moment and they will see
where they are getting quite radical
in what they say and do. The state
ment quoted in The Oregonian that
our girls park their corsets in the
cloak room before going to the dance
is absolutely untrue. When they start
to slander the girls of our school It is
time to stop.
FRANKLIN HI T CLUB.
SCHOOL DANCES ADVOCATED
Charges of Moral Degeneracy Are
Declared to Be Untrue.
PORTLAND, Jan. 10. (To the Edi
tor.): Half truths supported by Iso
lated examples of moral delinquency
may make the world believe that our
youth are moral degenerates, but will
they support the contention that
dancing shall not be permitted in our
schools?
If Dr. Wilson is correctly quoted in
your paper, he accuses all the young
people of our city of moral delin
quency; an accusation he cannot sus
tain by proof.
Shall we close our churches because
occasionally a minister takes advan
tage of an Innocent young girl and
wrongs her? Shall we say that all
ministers are moral degenerates be
cause occasionally one goes wrong?
Shall we close our churches becsuse
boys wait outside after service, hop
ing for the privilege of escorting
home the girl?
But let us return to the accusa
tion. Let us grant for the purpose
of argument that all. Dr. Wilson says
is true; then doesn't it follow that
the way to correct the evil Is to in
spire our youth with' the ideals of the
duty of a man to a woman. How are
we to have the chance to inspire
tcese ideals if we take away our only
opportunity by denying the right to
give entertainments or dances In our
schools entertainments that afford
the best opportunity to put Into
practice the precepts of a gentleman
and a gentlewoman.
However, the broad accusation of
Dr. Wilson is untrue. It creates an
entirely wrong impression and one
which the parents of Portland's
youth should rise up in anger and
smite, and smite hard. When one
boy in my class stole money from
the school, his act did cot make my
classmates and myself thieves. No
more has any act of moral degeneracy
made the classmates of the guilty.
ones the same, or given Dr. Wilson
the right to make the broad state
ments h is reported to have made.
It is more than 20 years since I
attended school, and I can look back
on those days with longing' the same
lenging for permission to attend the
school dances which was denied me
by my good Methodist mother. I
have heard the stories ot these
dances. I have heard the boys who
attended take to task one ot their
number who had cot conducted him
self as his fellows thought he should
I have even known of instances where
one boy was practically barred trom
the dance by the refusal of the other
boys to fill his programme.
TLeee questions had better be lert
to our boys and girls. They are
, equal to It. and as it Is only by ex
I erclse that we develop strength, so
It is only -by eonauertnar our tempta
r tlons that we develop character: and
t the purpose of our schools Is to de
, velop character. So let them func-
tlon, and maybe we will eventually
i develop a race of men and women
who will realize that good comes
from within the Individual, and not
1 from statutes commanding, "Thou
shalt not." HARRY L. MARSHALL.
DRY LAW FAILURE IS SEEN
Ex-Soldiers Feel Like Something
Was Put Over During Absence.
PORTLAND, Jan. 21. (To the Edi
tor.) I read your remarkable editorial
in The Oregonlan oi the enforcement
of the prohibition amendment' to our
constitution. A great number of our
soldiers who were In France feel in
the same way as some of our United
States senators have expressed them
selves, that It was a well and
thoroughly organized minority that
forced the prohibition amendment
through the two houses, and some of
us soldiers feel like we had some
thing put over on us while we were
away defending our country against
Its enemies. The latter term means
all of our enemies (reformers Includ
ed). The latter must have their own
way, regardless of the mischief they
make, and It would appear that they
are now witnessing the mischief that
they have committed, to-wlt. that
long line of lawbreakers that your
editorial calls attention to bootleg
ger, thief, dope peddler and the great
est criminal of them all the one
who aids and abets them by buying
from them.
Viewing It from the reformers'
standpoint ho has reformed the old
toper and his Ilk. Now. who Is left
to reform the reformer, and I make
a motion that the whole people tackle
this Job and pursue It to a finish,
and after that Job is completed start
a movement for sane and Just laws
that can be enforced, always remem
bering (the very thing that the re
former forgot) that the laws are
made to govern human beings. Every
thinking man knew or believed
that prohibition enforcement as the
law that is now on the statute books
reads would be a failure, for It over
looked the human element. In the
human family, and it has done the
very thing your editorial so ably
points out made minor and major
criminals galore.
Read Will Sheppard's article In the
Cosmopolitan, "What Are We Drink
ing?" Read United States reports
covering the withdrawal of proof
spirits from the United States bonded
warehouses. From the latter you will
team more proof spirits were with
drawn in the first ten months of
1921 than in any like period in their
history. United States shipping
board vessels sold liquor aboard their
vessels, placing the United States in
the position of not obeying its own
In the past four years we have
passed from the fifth narcotic user
among the nations of the world to
the first, and now our nation's sta
tistics report that we use 25,000 tons
cf narcotics per annum.
The reformer knew that he wanted
to reform somebody, somehow, but It
Is evident he never stopped to figure
the results of his reforming and how
it would work out He wanted what
he wanted and when he wanted It. It
is really pitiful the lack of reflection
that he has shown. He had his big
chance to make the United States a
better place to live In. Did he do It?
JAMES H. SMALLEY.
POEM FINE BUT INADEQUATE
Correspondent Queries Mr. Stuns,
Author of "The Cure."
OREGON CITY, Or., Jan. 20. (To
the Editor.) The Oregonlan pub
lished a poem which has rare merit.
I refer to "The Cure." by J. S. Stuns.
But like many poets he Is careless In
his statements. I question his right
to call love a formula. My dictionary
says "formula" is " prescribed set
or special form of words In which
anything is stated or declared." If
love be a formula will Mr. 8tunz
kindly tell me what are Its several
components and where I may obtain
them and where I may find a chem
ist who can compound them and give
me love?
It is something of a fad nowadays
to talk of what great things love will
do. It Is the greatest force In the
world, humanity has no 111 It will not
cure; but no one. It seems to me. is
able to tell or attempts to tell us
where or how we may be able to ob
tain or develop this balm of Gllead.
That it Is the proper remedy I am
also sure; but where ean I find It?
If It be a force, as some assert, can
I buy It as I might buy a well charged
battery? Can I generate It by per
sonal efforts? Can I call It from the
clouds, or mine It from the earth?
Can I distill it from the dogmas of
theology, or find it in the apothe
cary's mortar? Is It a slave that I
may command to do my bidding? Can
I force myself to love someone I do
not like? I have loved and been
loved enough to know soms of Its
Joy-producing power, and I find It
easy to love my own.
From these warm springs ef love I drink
my fill.
But find the over-rtm. a tiny rllt
la lost, soon lost, la Just a little war
From self.
Kindly tell me, Mr. Stuns, how I
may bring within the circle of my
affections those whom I do not Ilka
F. W. PARKER.
SCHOOL DANCING APPROVED
Mother, 0, Says Children Need
Chance to Vent Energy.
PORTLAND, Jan. 13. (To the Ed
itor.) In regard to school dances let
the Methodist ministers go to the
school for one week and sit in the
hard, cramped benches. If they don't
feel like dancing at the end of the
week I'll give It up. Those young,
growing children have a lot of sur
plus energy to get away with In
some way, so let them dance.
I am a mother of SO years and
have five children. I attended a num
ber of the school dances and enjoyed
seeing the children enjoying them-1
selves so much. I think' I grew sev- j
eral years younger. If more of the .
old folks danced there would be less j
rheumatism. I
MRS. MARY BROWN. I
FAIR IS BOOSTER'S CHANCE
If Tou Cant Help, Dont Knock, Is
Writer's Suggestion.
PORTLAND, Jan. II. (To the Edi
tor.) I have traveled the whole world
over, I have lived and participated In
the clvto activities ot every state in
the union, with the possible exception
of one or two of the southernmost
states; I have seen fairs and exposi
tions such as the Alaska-Yukon, the
Panama-Pacifle and numerous others
of less note. Even from the time of
the origination nf th embrvonio idea
I of holding such an exposition, the
idea was met with no opposition. The
path of the enterprise was aglow with
the prospects of a happy future. The
noble work was given the right ot
way. Everyone lent a helping hand.
Take for example, our wonderful gov
ernment of the United States. Unified
we can, have and always will, stand
out in base relief as "the" nation of
nations, but, divided, we with our
enormous strength and population
would dissolve, even as a grain of
salt Would dissolve . In a glass of
water. Our peoples would part and
we well, we wouldn't be. Therefore,
to get to the main issue of this my
wheezing. You have, no doubt, already
gleaned the fact that I am going to
say something about the Oregon ex
position to oe held In the near future
and I surely am. '
Just a word to those who. deep In
their heart of hearts, know that Ore
gon will profit In every way as a
a'rect result of after-affect of our
fair and are outwardly opposing It
In plain-spoken English my feelings
are thus: If you are not and will not
be an Oregon booster, a booster for a
bigger, better Oregon, now. In the
future and all the time, surely then
you will refrain from voicing your
bizarre opinion In the opposite man
ner.
In a way, the future Atlantic-Pa
clfic-Hlghways - Electrical exposition
to be held In or about Portland is
"Oregon's cup of fate." and upon the
degree of success with which we put
over the big fair depends the future
of our state of Oregon. Heeding this
then let us all give our unadulterated
faith and our undivided efforts and
attention to the aiding of the growth
and development of this, our greatest
enterprise of all time. Remember if
this fair Is an absolute success and
It surely will be Oregon will reap a
golden harvest; Its growth and the
development of its untold natural
resources will be meteoric. And all
of this, my friends, will come as the
indirect result of the marvelous fore
sight of Julius Meier and a few other
-master minds of Oregon.' However,
should we fall to put the exposition
over big, Oregon would be but a big
blot or blur In the eyes of our sister
states and the rest of the universe,
nearly all of which have already sig
nified their intentions of participating
in the exposition.
Therefore, let us endeavor to make
the coming exposition 100 per cent
successful; we must also turn a deaf
ear to the few "old fogies" who wish
to besmirch the fair name of Oregon
in the eyes of the world by trying to
put as many obstacles In the way of
the exposition as are possible.
ARDENT BELIEVER,
MORE HOLIDAYS ARE WANTED
Memorial to Congress for Fried
Liver and Onion Day Considered.
VANCOUVER, Wash..- Jan. 13. (To
the Editor.) Comes a complaint from
the city of "Round-Up" fame, sub
scribed to by Stephen A. Lowell,
against the muchly overworked legal
holiday. He opines that we have too
many of them, etc. As. far as I am
concerned. I think that we ought to
have about 300 more of them and
then we'd have one for every day in
the year. I have been considering
for some time memorializing con
gress to legalize the following days
as legal holidays: Prune day, apple
day, potato day. fried liver and onion
day, ground hog day, buttermilk day,
flower day, mother day, father day,
brother day, sister day, cousin day,
step-mother day. music day. automo
bile day. old friends' day, etc.
Of course I'll admit, like Mr. Lowell,
that the idea of observing New
Year's day and also Thanksgiving
day is far from what It used to be.
In fact, we older ones can hark back
to the days when these days stood for
something; In the days before Vol
stead became a household by-word,
when the sleuthing "dicks" didn't soft
pedal around along the byways and
highways with nostrils upraised to
scent the desert air; when we used
to don the long-tailed coat and high
silk tile, and the egg-nog and Tom
and Jerry flowed like water down a
mountain side, and after we'd fin
ished making our "calls" we went
home and tried to unlock the front
door with a cigarette, but alas today
the thing has resolved Itself Into tur
key and cranberry sauce. I
If someone could only arrange
these holidays so they wouldn't in
variably fall on Saturday, Sunday or
Monday, thus throwing two days to
gether when a man is living on a
rural route and you can't get your
mail for two days because it's George
Washington's birthday he will have
conferred a lasting favor on man
kind. I say again that we should
have more holidays and then if mall
carriers and school teachers got the
sleeping sickness It wouldn't incon
venience Che holidays.
THE MAJOR.
SCHOOL
DANCES
UPHELD
Married Woman Voices Sentiments
as Portland ex-Student.
PORTLAND, Jan. 21 (To' the Edi
tor.) Please permit me, as an ex
student who Is now a married wom
an, to voice my sentiments concern
ing the question of putting a ban on
school dances.
There seems to be an element whloh
is continually trying to take the "Joy
out of life" with its "blue laws," "18th
amendment," "anti-tobacco leagues,"
etc, and now with this idea of "no
school dances." Since time begsn
there have been dances some of
them good, some of them bad. We
are told that history repeats Itself.
Even in the Bible we are cited many
examples of dancing, drink, etc..
which were not debaucheries. Of
course, we all know that drink, car
ried to an excess, is a sin and skould
be curbed. The same Is true of danc
ing when people with low mentalities
or moral standards are the partici
pants. But the average high school student
is honorable and possesses at least
a fairly clean mind. Approximately
75 per cent of the students dance.
After days of recitation and study,
how eagerly they look forward to a
school "hop," "prom," "Jitney dance.''
etc. Properly conducted dancing is
considered one of the best forms of
exercise, and it Is one of the simplest
forms of recreation, or pleasure. Right
here, for the benefit of our esteemed
Methodist clergy and for those who
are not acquainted with the truths, 1
wish to ask "How can a school dance
be other than properly conducted?"
Before a dance Is permitted on the
school premises or elsewhere under
the auspices, of some school organiza
tion, the principal, dean of girls, a
few teachers and a host of "notables"
and fond parents must be secured for
patrons and patronesses plainly
speaking, "chaperons." The pupils are
not likely to be indlsoreet before their
instructors and fellow-classmen. 1
have seen the teachers on the floor as
thoroughly enjoying their dances as
did any of their young charges. And.
yes, I have seen the dean herself In
dulging In the same temptations and
sin I These good people are deemed
above reproach, and I am certain. that
the services of Mrs. Baldwin and
other inspectors were never needed.
If I had sons or daughters in high
school, I would want them to be able
to partake of the pleasures of school
dances. I have attended dozens of
them, and, even now. after marrying
and changing many of mv old Ideas. I
can see nothing Improper In these lit
tle social activities. Besides being a
clean and healthy form ot amusement,
these dances are a great help in be
coming acquainted with the majority
Of the students. Every year at Wash
!"s'ton olsrh school the seniors give a
freshman frolic." After a welcom
ing address and a short programme,
there was always dancing. No intro
ductions were necessary, and thus the
shy freshmen and the sedate seniors
laid the cornerstone of friendship.
if the worthy Methodist ministers
are so opposed to the dancing In pub
lic Institutions of learning, why do
they not have their own schools (as
the Catholics do), where they can
allow only those things which har
monize with their beliefs? 1 think
that any one who is the least bit fair
fjf broadmlnded will readily agres
that In schools where all races and
religions mix there must be no favor
itism of any creed. The publio schools
do not favor the teachings of any sect
They try to he the happy medium.
MIIS. CHARLES HENDERSON.
STUMP BURNING ABANDONED
Best Methods of Oaring Land
Dynamite and Pulling.
the Editor.) An Item appearing In
The Oregonlan January 14. headed as
roMows: "Stump Burner Tried Out;
Official Committees Experiment at
Kenton; 40 Hours Said To Be Neces
sary to Consume Large Tree Base."
Having been born and raised In
Oregon, and having cleared many
f l" tne bl 'tumps, and having
taken keen Interest In the different
modes applied to their extermination.
1 cannot help but take issue against
all burning methods.
In the first place, any system which
is not a "time saver" and does not
completely put the "grub hoe" and
axe In the discard, la hardly worth
mentioning.
Burning methods, in many forms,
were tried in the early davs a'.d were
found too slow and were abandoned.
Life Is too short, and "40 hours"
too long to look a stump In the face.
Here In the Scotts Mills country, we
yank them out In less than "40 min
utes." We are perfectly willing to give a
demonstration before any officials,
and are satisfied that we can con
vlnce the most skeptical that our
methods are more up-to-date and far
more practical in the line of elimin
ating stumps, than any burning
method. I am surprised that the
owners of the different types of ex
oellent stump machines have not re
plied to this item.
' The machine -we use Is "capssn"
form, with long sweep attached. One
horse may be used to operate it, or
the team may he hitched to the
sweep. Either single power, double
power, or triple power may be had
by using power blocks. A strain of
mors than 100 tons can be put on
the "pulling line," but la not needed.
Large stumps, we "split or crack"
with the use of dynamite, using
enough to split the stump good, and
Jar soil- from "tap roots." This
method eliminates many tedious min
utes of digging dirt from roots, which
If pulled without blasting, would
keep a person busy removing dirt and
clay from roota.
To blast the stump out entirely,
brings too much clay to the surface
and Invariably scatters It over the
soil, to the detriment of the owner,
but by simply cracking them good,
and then pulling them out, what
small amount of clay does come up,
can be very readily put in bottom of
holes.
I am somewhat surprised that our
agricultural committees, chambers of
commerce, Oregon land settlement
commission, etc., are taking time to
investigate stump burning methods,
which necessitate from 40 to 60 hours
burning to get one stump out when
methods now used and in operation,
by many, many farmers, will get the
same stump out in less than 40 min
utes. This Is not meant to belittle or
slander the Inventor of the new
burning process, but merely to show
that the method is "too slow" and
costly.
We are always glad to learn, but
the process of burning, which re
quires 40 to 0 hours per stump, has
got to eliminate "tne hours and get
down to minutes before It will have
any supporters In this neck of the
woods.
Much has been said, and much
sympathy has been extended to the
"poor old farmer," on the stump
question, but why not get down to
concrete facts and advocate some
thing real good and beneficial.
For Instance, give us a state-owned
ant operated powder house where
powder will be manufactured and
sold ts the farmers. Just over and
above the cost of Its productlion.
making the convicts, criminals and
bootleggers do the work under tha
supervision of an expert powder man.
or some other process, and 1 will as
sure you that the farmer, home
steadier and land owner will solve
the stump problem without aid of any
Investigating committees.
Powder, selling at the price of in
to S10 the 50 pounds is entirely too
high and out of reason, when you con
sider the prices of firm produce.
PERT B. BIRD.
BE GOOD MIAKR, IS .ADVICE
Mnry-Slt-by-thc-I'lre Told to Look
Out or She'll Always Be There.
PORTLAND, Jan. 21. (To the Edi
tor.) Just a few words in reply to
Mary-Slt-by-the-Flre."
Don't forget that we are not living
In the old days of King Arthur, when
bold, armored knights rode forth on
prancing white steeds snd, rescuing
the beautiful maidens, galloped madly
sway.
So If Mary figures on sitting by
the rireslde snd waiting for her
Prince Charming. I fear she will be
come gray-haired and wrinkled with
old age, besides wasting the happiest
years of her life.
It is not necessary for her to throw
herself Into any man's arms. That Is
both detestable and sickening.
Iearn to observe others, lie a good
mixer. Get other people's Ideas.
Yours may seem perfect but they ,
have Just as much right to thei r
opinions. Don't think that every ma ,
that looks at you or suealcs io y. v
la trying to insult tou.
Check up on your own f;
hsblts and see If you are
8 in ii
not
one to blame.
KEEN OBSERVE fc.