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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 26, 1904)
' Editorial -f age off-TiEb . J.Eiriaa!l PORTLAND,' OREGON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26. 1904 THE OREGON DAILY: AN C S. JACKSON r"blishsd every evening (except Sunday) at The Journal Building, lift THE PRESIDENT AND THE OFFICIALS. A ND WHAT of Roosevelt, this ramping, raging cham l pion of popular rights, this hero In khaki who hurls defiance into the very teeth of Intrenched plutocracy and dares it do Its very worst and deadliest? - la it possible that he. too, is falling from his proud estate, that listening to the soothing voice of high ambition the raging torrent of his passionate nature is magically quelled and the crafty politician finds his way through the weak . . ... ' ...... Li- i.kk.J d..UI? spots in tne armor oi am ruuMmutu Every one In Oregon knows the story. It was a case of ,.'.. ,. ri.,. iuitium.tita at Rnsphnrsr. inslenlflcant inu 1IVA 1 1 1 v. t; itumvuwujiviim v ' - w ' enough In themselves but. as It happened, Involving prin ciples that reached down deep Into the fundamentals. The register and receiver had both been appointed through the Influence of a great land syndicate which had had and would continue to have vast dealings with the land office. One of the two federal officials was a brother of the head of this great corporation and himself occupied the position of secretary or the company. If there wasethtegrtrth 'whole question, and there seems to be Very' much more, than the matter of appearances, the appointment would neither have been wise nor warranted. There were many objections raised to It and protests filed. The secretary of the Interior who, whatever else may be said of him, stands for honest and high class service. Instituted a searching Investigation. On the strength of It both men were re moved. This action was promptly sustained and' ap proved by the president But meantime the Influence of practical politicians was brought to bear. The Booth-Kelly company plays a fine hand In Oregon politics; It was barely possible that prop erly aroused and all Its agencies set to work, it would have considerably more than an appreciable effect upon an election result. It Is manifestly a realisation of this that gave the president pause and finally caused him to override the decision of the secretary. Our Washington correspondent assures us that both officials will be rein stated; and that this course has been definitely determined upon. " , , And thus we ask why the rampaging, militant hand of our strenuous president Is palsied In this emergency? If he proves himself "amenable" to Influences In Oregon, why not elsewhere, and If the exigencies of his own election so far override his original cold-blooded determination in one ease.-why-not in- another ? Once overriden, where is t going to stop and how much better for the public welfare Is the roaring and Insatiable advocate of all that Is high and holy in the public service than the veriest machine politician when in the ultimate showdown both reach pre cisely the same result? -There are many features ef-the-presldenfe-ehftraeter which we have admired and on occasion commended and none has received heartier commendation than his sturdy determlnatto nto do what was right no matter how power ful the influences opposed to him. But it he can be jarred loose through influences which can be exerted from Ore gon how can he resist the blandishments of the powerful combinations of the east which so persistently use the gov .rnmpnf ' f n thai Ajn .ffffnn1lMm.iit9 . A n .4 hAin. - .. . -v.. w " . .wwiuimireilll , A11U 1CJIlg. "amenable" to those influences, as he has shewn himself to be in this particular case, what becomes of his reputa tion for high moral courage and sturdy honesty? These are grave questions for the president to face, but no less grave for the people who may expect to vote for him next fall. CONGRESS AND THE RURAL CARRIERS nr tHERE IS no branch of the public 1 ; gress shows such determination to treat with per sistent niggardliness as the rural mail dellverv carriers. So long as the service remained a pure experi ment upon a totally new line, it could not be expected that the government would pay fancy salaries. But the service Is no longer an experiment; it fills a long-felt want and it brings, to the very door of the most neglected and least considered of our population conveniences that add vastly to the pleasure of their lives. This being true It is no more than fair that the men who perform the arduous duties should be decently paid. They are under heavy expense in maintaining their own teams and this does not appear to be taken into consideration iu fixing the compensation to be paid to them. By the bill before congress it is now proposed to increase their com pensation 120 a year, but In making this Increase the car riers will no longer be permitted to carry any express packages or do any paper business. The little revenue which they have received from these sources' is, as a mat ter of fact, what all of them have chiefly to rely upon to make both ends meet If it were not for these sources of revenue reliable men could not be found service. If the government wants to cut this oft it should make the compensation adequate to warrant it. With the new arrangement in force many of the rawer tnan make by it, so that the increase in salary pro vided by the bill Is more apparent than real. This is the carriers' side of it, but there Is another side. The service was Inaugurated for the benefit of those living rmx oaoEv-ivcxx otjt-oit. And the Clever Kan Who Saw it if as Properly Advertised. From the Judicious Advertising Maga- slnt. .... ' One ot the most successful pieces of railroad advertising done .for a long time was that performed when the Ogden-Lucln "Cut-Off" was formally opened and dedicated by E. It Harri tnan and a distinguished party of rail road men Including flvs presidents, rep resenting eight or ten railroads. As compared with the ordinary methods of advertising, thla achievement in positive results stands out distinct. A train of ten special cars with every desirable convenience and accommodation waa provided, one car being practically set part for a party of newspaper men un der the escort of Alfred Darlow, adver tising agent of the Union Pacific. This party consisted of a special correspond ent of the Associated Press represent ing his 2.700 dally papers, a special Berlpps - McRae correspondent three other special correspondents with long strings of papers, and several additional correspondents picked up en route. The trip consumed five days, the special train .going as far west at Reno. Every pos sible opportunity was afforded for giv ing the newspaper men full details ot the development of the great overland route. If the value of, advertising de pends on the number of people it reaches this was a stupendous success for every metropolitan dally newspaper in the country . was represented and most, it not all, of . them 'gave unusually large paoe to this Matter., tang stories were sent out by wire, longer ones by mall In the shape of features and Illustrated, and how long they wilt continue to fol low would be difficult to tel. The mount of matter, however, should not, tre allowed to shut, out the. considera tion of the character of It As a mat INDEPENDENT NBW8PAPEK PUBLISHED BY JOURNAL PUBLISHING CO. OFFICIAL. PAPER OP THE CITY OP ROSEBURG in isolated sections service vastly convenient not alone because of the prompt ness with which their mail reaches them, but for the fur ther reason that through the carriers they have a chance to send to town for things which otherwise would cost them half or a whole day's time to get for themselves. This has added vastly to the popularity of the system in the eyes of the farmers and ranchers who were Intended to be ben efited by It. They are even more Interested in maintaining that feature of the work than the carriers themselves. Sq far the system has given rise to no abuses, while on the other hand it has proven vastly convenient to the peo ple served. If the government wants to do the reasonable and Just thing by the carriers it will give them the in crease which the present bill calls for and let matters otherwise stand as 'they arev WE MUST HAVE CONTINUOUS APPROPRIATIONS. WHILE MONET is freely lavished elsewhere and r-while opportunities actually seem to he created for -its continued expenditure, it is manifest that Oregon will have to fight for every dollar which it may hope to gain from congress for its perfectly legitimate enterprises. It has itself spent mUch money which the federal government should have spent In river and harbor work and it has waited for years in patience for the be ginning of work that while it meant much to the great re gion of the Columbia river basin, meant equally much to the commerce of the country. The work at the mouth of the Columbia river has been started and there is sufficient appropriation to continue It for the present season. But at the end of that time it may be left in whatever conditions (t happens to land without hope for its continuance in the following year, which may be the crucial year in its history. In much the same v. has 'proceeded the work along the Columbia river. Appro priations have come in dribs to do work which should be undertaken, If at all, on a permanent and continuous scale. The question of these as a whole and not other way can we even improvements of such a nature as will be of much practical benefit to our commerce. The work proposed on the Celllo canal falls naturally and logically under the head of continuing improvements.. In this aspect it has been regarded by Ihehlef oJLlhe eni gineering department The only obstacle in the way of a commencement of the pay for the right of way. The gordian knot was cut by the state at the recent special session of the legislature when $100,000 was appropriated for the purpose of buying the right of way, and turning It oVer to the federal govern ment without cost. Nc better evidence of the perfect good faith of the state or Its belief in the enterprise could have been afforded. The work itself will occupy several years in its completion. Under the best of circumstances it could not be completed within five years. This being true and the state having done what was demanded, and rather un justly, too as Its share, the whole matter should be put upon a permanent basis, the engineers' estimates accepted arid an appropriation for Its continuance regularly inserted in the? sundry civil bill. ' Much )s expected from the delegation in congress in this respect this year. There is no good reason why the mat ter of river and harbor appropriations, particularly where they concern the wont on me coiumDia river, snouid not be put upon a permanent basis under which the work may be intelligently prosecuted and brought as speedily as possible to a con summation. By the results of their efforts in this direction wilt their work at this session of congress be largely Judged. t I service which con-! , NEWS AND SPECULATION. ' T IS already manifest that it will not do to place too much reliance, even on so-called official news', which comes to the world by way of St. Petersburg. The same is quite true ol that which bears a Paris date line; It always needs verification before one may be sure of Its probable truth. On the other hand news which comes from London may usually be expected to have a Japanese flavor to It. With these things in view one is not apt to be swept off his feet either by reports of great Japanese or great Russian victories. A notable Illustration was contained in the first dispatches sent out from St. Peters burg claiming a great Russian victory at Port Arthur. When it all simmered down it was quite apparent that if the Japanese effort had failed, there was involved in it neither great loss of life or property, not a single battle ship or even torpedo boat. The Japanese are exercising the most rigid censorship ever imposed. They are determined that the scope of their purposes will not become the property of the world until such time as they are within sight of consummation. Precisely what they are now attempting to do Is little more than a matter of speculation, more or less intelligent. But the time seems close at hand when there will be some developments which will be worth while, from the stand point of the newspaper readers. to continue the carriers would lose, ter of fact, all stories were run In the moat favorable manner possible. Few readers In the United States could well scape perusing these stories. The number of papers in this case la unlim ited. The extra expense Incurred by the Harriman interests in taking these news, paper men on the trip was Infinitesimal aa compared with the results obtained. It should not be forgotten that the mat ter found its way not only into the columns of the dally papers, large and small, but Into the weeklies and month lies and patent lnaides, probably as many as four thousand publications in all. It is alno to be remembered that the camera played a prominent part In the general scheme by vivid and Inter esting photographs which riveted at tention. This is not the first time Mr. Darlow has scored a success of this kind. In 101 he engineered and carried to com pletion one of the most remarkable ex cursions ever given in this country. By stupendous engineering achievements the Union Pacific has reduced grades, straightened curves and reconstructed tracks on the Wyoming division costing $15,000,000. All this was successfully ex ploited and a rich harvest of advertising reaped for his road. In Ksi Mr. Darlow led an expedition of scientists from various colleges, uni versities -and museums of the United States, through, the fossil fields of Wy oming, along the Union Pacific. As a result such men as the late Wilbur C. Knight, professor of geology and mill ing in the University of Wyoming, and Charles Shuchert of the United State National museum, lent the facility of their scientific pens to the exploitation of, the resources of this maiden country, so wondrously pregnant with the phe nomena of nature not forgetting to ex ploit the wonder of the great overland route. Books a'nd pamphlets live as mementoes and tributes to the rare di plomacy of this ingenious undertaking. JOURNAL JNO. P. CARROLL and Yamhill streets. Portland, Oregon. PORTLAND of the country. They have found the improvements should be considered segregated Into sections, for In no hope to get permanent Improvements or work was the question of who should contemplated and actually progressing A Protest from the Other Bide. Portland, Or.. Feb. 24. To the Editor of The Journal: A half-doxen of us, all citizens of Portland, who took claims under the stone and timber act years ago, and 'who as yet have not received patents to our land, are trying in a modest way to obtain fair play and jus tice, and we need the aid of your paper. We have started a list of charter mem bers for a protective association. We feel that at last we must rebel against being pointed out as rogues and rascals and held In suspense for years. We have looked over the records of one land office and find over 5,000 men and women alone who put up $400 each, and we are sure that there are about 10,000 men at least who have $4,000,000 tied up, and we don't know when we will get title or be refused title, thus $50,000 a year Is lost in Interest alone to us We all have our stories of injustice heaped on our heads. We are counting on The Journal backing us up and giv ing this cry of distress the publicity that Will attract our servants, the con. gressmen, and which will cause a wide spread Interest. We cannot believe that the mere rulings of a department can be held over the clear wording of the law, and we plan to take immediate ac tion toward obtaining what is our due. Our ambitions are large. We want headquarters and legal help. We want every clalmowner to write to The Jour nal and tell his own story of injustice, so your valuable paper wilt see fit to champion our cause and thus bring suc cess to our efforts. Yours truly S. E. PREEN,' 12$ Corbett St.. . . One of Committeemen. LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE I Oregon Sidelights Drain is rejoicing in a new noise in that town, that of a new sawmill's whistle and buzz. , . .. Oregon is growing all over, Stayton Is to have a new stone building and a new bank therein. - The Salem Journal urges the thorough cleaning of. that city this spring. This is good advice in any city. Lostlne, wallow county, is now a "dry" town, and soma people therein and thereabouts feel Jost In it. t Jacksonville putting on new youth ana vigor, one sign or, wnicn is mat it Is to have train service three times a A Dlxonvllle, Douglas county, man harvested 10 tons of carrots from less than half an acre and sold them for 110 a ton. The sure gold mine is a carrot paten. . ' Many million young salmon have late ly been turned loose from hatcheries into Oregon streams. Come back, nloo little fellows, when well grown; we will give you a warm welcome. Eastern Oregon cattle are becoming more frisky; not only have they -en joyed a mild winter, but they are look ing up--in prlce-and aeverar eastern buyers are looking them up, and their owners. . . The Blue Mountain Eagle says the county seat question "Is stirring up a hornet's nest all over Grant county." Must be rather rough on the hornets, up there in the high hills, this time of year. An Astoria man who was swindled Out of $10 by cashing a worthless check refused, on the money - being refunded by the swindler, who had been arrested, to prosecute him; and the next' day an other man was defrauded by the same operator In the same way. Moral: There should be no compromises of this sort Still LaQrande Is trying to become the county seat of Union county. Pe titions signed by over 2,000 voters have been filed asking for a vote on the ques tion at the June election. LaQrande Is the largest and in a business way the most Important town in the county,, but Unlod is nicely located, and naturally wants to retain the plum tree that has stood 'there so long. Baker City has a Chinese "noodle Joint." patronised not only by dis reputable men and women, but, the Democrat says, by seme of the best peo ple ot the city, and, what Is worse, by boys rangtng in age from 10 to IS years. It Is alleged that the "noodle" is im pregnated with "dope" and that the thrifty Chinaman who operates the "Joint" Is getting rich. In- some places the peoplehave trouble over the saloon or liquor ques tion, but in Hood river valley the prin cipal trouble lately has been over water, between a water company and farmers and horticulturallsts who need water for irrigation and other pur poses; but the difficulty has now been adjusted, and the people of that re markably rich and prosperous valley are now happy again. " " . " " The Medford Twlce-a-Week properly urges southern Oregon orchardlsts to prepare to spray their trees and bushes soon, particularly against that worst of fruit-tree pests, the Ban Jose scale, which is still prevalent there. It is gen erally known and admitted that the one remedy for the fruit pest evil Is fre quent , spraying. Thererore. orchard lsts, say together, '.et us spray" and then do it Suicide is rare among Indiana, but a Umatilla Indian. Jim Joshua, the sec ond Indian of that reservation to kill himself, committed suicide Monday, by shooting himself with a rifle bullet. Ac cording to the East Oregonian he was sober, intelligent and honest, and well-to-do, having 200 acres of good land; also a wife and three daughters, with whom he had lived happily till lately; but it Is supposed that as in the case of Innumerable white families, domestic troubles arose, which caused the trag edy. Tax gcxrurci or JusrwszirTOQTjrr From the Baltimore American He'd dabbled in lore of the wise gone be fore. He'd read all the books that had come In his way; He'd studied the sages of long buried ages. As well as the erudite minds of today. He'd name In a minute each book (and what'a In It) - That e'er had attracted attention a tlt; oui une iuri oi xnowieoge i us caught ' in no college) He knew not the science of Justwhen- toqult. He'd talk you distracted on plays that were acted In days of old Shakespeare or earlier Still; He'd talk you to slumber on Pompellan lumber, He'd talk off your arm on the Panama bill; He'd iell ta the letter w blch system was better. Joe Chamberlain's scheme or free trade, where they spilt; But yet you are sad in chasing each fad that He's mastered, he's lacking on Justwhen toqult. If men of his temper Xwe have them . sio semped) Were builders of houses, each dwelling would fall; They'd keep right on stacking new stor , , les, though lacking The solid foundation to hold them at all. In every profession are men In pos session Of wisdom galore, though they haven't a bit Of that prime essential of men influen tial 4 A grasp of the science of Justwhento- quic . Take then, for example, those duffers who trample The lowermost rung from the ladder of fame; Watch those who In trying keep bitterly crying That luck, and not skill give the victor his name; Learn welt In beginning the secret of winning Is not the vagary called luck not a bit: ; - - But Just the assumption of common place gUmption A grasp of the science called Justwhen- toqult. - ' - . Sure morose Destroyer. From the Chicago News. If tnstesd of boiling your water you will drop $400 worth of radium Into a glass of It the microbes will have press ing Invitations to attend ;. their own funerals. i THE DIG RUSSIAN ARMY ' From the Chicago Tribune. ; The wages of a common soldier in the regular .array of Russia do not amount to more than 1 cent a day, though his food, clothing and equipment are pro vided by the government. His regular auowance for spending money for all purposes is Just a little more than a ruble, a year, but extras of various kinds bring the grand total up to a little less than $4. This sum is supposed to cover all his expenditures for tobacco, spirits ana luxuries or every kind. The enlisted men in the United States army are oald more than three times that amount per raonm, or aoout Xorty times as much per year. When it is considered how little the Russian private has to spend it is easy to see why he should be eager and quick "on the loot." - The Russian officers are paid a little better, but not so much so as to cause any particular gasping for breath, A Russian lieutenant gets about $200 a year, a captain about $300, and a major M&w. it, will be seen, therefore, that such of the Russian officers as have not private means or do not 'obtain financial . assistance from some outside source, are forced to live In a condition not far removed from actual poverty. A new uniform to a man who depends on nis pay is quite impossible. As a mat ter of fact, almost all the higher officers come from more or less wealthy fami lies, ana ir they marry they are sup posed' to select only rich girls as wives. TheTBosrs"toaishifir strength of the Kussian army Is m its cavalry branch The agricultural department at Wash' ington estimates that in all the world there are about $$,000,000 horses. The Russian empire alone has $0,000,000 horses, or nearly half of the grand total. In the regular army of the csar there are no less than half a million horses. and thla number in time of war might oe easily eoubieo. How valuable this vast cavalry force may be m the far east may be questioned, for allowing to eacn norse a dally ratten of 25 pounds of fodder and taking it for granted that Manchuria and the adjacent provinces raise little that might be used for horse food, it is hard to see how any large number of horses can be permanently maintained at the far end of a single track railroad, more than 5.000 miles long. In the Russian cavalry, of course, the most picturesque corps is that of the Cossacks. The Cossacks are really pro fessional soldiers. They almost live on horseback, and are the only horsemen in the world who equal the rough riders of the far western states in feats of horsemanship. They come from about the Black sea. and out of a total popu lation of 3,000,000 furnish 150,000 men for the imperial army. The horses and uniforms of the Cossacks are furnished by-the various Cossack tribal communi ties, and in camp the curious tribal signs bang over the entrance to the quarters of each regiment In active service the Cossacks are the eyes and ears of the Russian army. They are the scouts. the pathfinders, the couriers, and order lies when desperate and dangerous work is to be doner They are much more ! dependent than the common soldiers of the army, and are also treated with much mora consideration by the mili tary authorities. The Cossacks are armed with rifles. without bayonets, with swords, without guards, and the men in the front ranks In each company also carry lances. They take great care of their horses, and are esteemed as among the most daring, tireless and relentless soldiers in tbe world. a xxxrastAirsi ornrxov. Iklaks the Vsited kttgates Kas Oonunltted a Crreat Blonder. Michael Davltt, the celebrated Irish statesman, writes as follows for the Hearst papers: ' r There are a few . considerations that are for the moment lost sight of in the public eagerness for sensational war news, which will demand the most seri ous thought and reflection in this coun try before the conflict precipitated by Japan is brought to a close. Possibly you may allow me to draw -attention to some of these In your columns. Already the' United States hse been Induced to commit a diplomatic and tac tical blunder. In the partisan line taken by her press and In tbe more or less friendly purport ot Mr. Hay's note, she has atl but departed from a professed attitude of strict , neutrality. This, at least Is the impression created In Rus sia, and the result is to beget there, for 'the first time In your history, a feel ing of resentment against your republic, which may lead to complications f the most momentous character. To ask what you have gained by the needless affront offered to a great and friendly power, Is a question that answers itself. You have gained noth ing but what is, I hope, only a momen tary feeling of justifiable anger at your unexpected partisanship for a yellow nation which has farced this war to an Issue, regardless of the appalling re sults that may eventuate to civilised manhood should a conflict thus deliber ately challenged, ultimately involve other powers in a general conflagration. The English press gloats over your apparent pronounced sympathy with the Japanese. There is a sinister and ob vious object in this British Jubilation. It 1 meant to convince Russia, that you are a potential ally ot Oreat Britain in any development of the war that may compel her to defend her Indian frontiers should Russia resent the ac tive encouragement tbe English are rendering to their yellow ally, by a demonstration against the British force now entangled in the mountain passes on the road from British India to Thibet Let us assume that Russia is, rightly or wrongly, convinced that you have tacitly taken sides against her.'. This feeling will compel her to take meas ures of preparation and precaution that would not now be necessary on her part It must influence her plana, in a great measure as to the moving of her land and sea forces from Europe to the pres ent field of operations. In other words, it is possible that this belief in your unfriendliness may drive Russia into acts that might light the baleful fires of general . warfare over the whole of Europe, as well as of Asia. May I, respectfully, . ask where your compensation would come from in this dreaded eventuality T Are you prepared to enter a combination with England and Japan against every great European power? , .. ' y Recollect that England can have no European ally with her In her selfish nd unprincipled game of pushing her Japanese ally into a deadly struggle with t.,e mighty Muscovite rival who menaces the existence of the British In dian empire. . Germany and France are far more likely . to side with . Russia than with England should the latter na tion offer open , aid to Japan. Their Interests would lie in that direction, rather than with, tbe possible counter combination. ' What land force could be shipped across seas by England, the t. United States and Japan. in the event of such an alliance, that could posalbly hope to successfully, contend against the The predominant and "characteristic color In the uniforms of the Russian army is dark green. The infantry .wear double-breasted blouses and knicker bockers of that color. The footguards and grenadiers have blight colored P'P' lnaa and facings on their green coats, Some of the lancers wear blue, and the czar's hussars are brilliant in scarlet The Cossacks wear mostly dark blue, or green. But the general effect the pre vailing tone, is dark green, except in the hot months, when, white Is the leading note. - - As to equipment, a Russian infantry man carries $0 rounds, of ammunition In his belt, 80 more rounds in a bando lier hung over his left shoulder under neath his great coat which is carried there done up In a roll, and a final re serve supply of ammunition, consisting of 80 rounds, carried in a poucn wnicn hangs from a strap running over the left shoulder and attached ' to the belt, From the right shoulder is suspended his waterproof kit bag, and on the top of the kit bag is an aluminum water bottle holding a pint ana a flair., xo tne great coats strapped a pair of boots and an aluminum mess dish, Besides this every six men carry among them the materials for a tent ' which will properly shelter them, so that it may easily be seen that the Russian soiaier is considerable of a weight carrier,. - The medioal and surgical departments of the Russian army are finely de veloped. There are six large and more than 800 smaller hospitals regularly connected, with the army, besides a much largor number of smaller lasarettos. There are more than 8,000 surgeons in the army on a peace footing, and. most of them are men of advanced training and. high standing In their profession. The hospitals and surgeons in charge are supplied by the state with the latest and most Improved apparatus for carry ing on their work In the best possible manner during the necessary inoon veniences and hardships of an active campaign. The drugs for medical use are prepared for the army medical da partment in the form of tabloids, with the . active principles accurately dosed and put up by the latest machinery, and the bandages and dressings are prepared and sent out in sterilised bundles from the state factories, which are the ad' miration of all the medical men who have seen them. Thn nrittint ttniilan armv aa am organisation, la nnlv ahnut SO vaaxa nM It was established by the imperial ukase or January, 1874, by which the whole male population of the empire, with the excanHun nf certain mitlvlna districts, is made liable to military ser vice, irom tne Beginning of tne twenty first to' the end of the forty-third year. Of. this time, the flrat flva vaara ana spent In the standing army and the re mainder in tne mnitia, in every year there are more than a million recruits reach the nf mllltarv nwu fi,. law makes many exceptions among those wiiu ere uBuie to service, ana in ordin ary years not more than a quarter of a million, and. nerhana tint that actually join, the colors, the rest going uireuuy imp me mnitia. - Education Is one of the qualities which cut down the length ot service. According to the de gree of education which he possesses a juuiig man may nave nis term of ac tual military service reduced to three, tWfl. fir MM Ima va T. 4. iwi. class that most of the officers ip' the reserve corps or mnitia, are drawn. three greatest military natlona of the world? These three powers could. If necessary, send 8.000,000 trained soldiers overland, to clear the British out of Egypt and India, en route for the scene of some titanlo encounter in China which would forever decide the fate of that much-coveted empire and market A moment's serious reflection will convince any well-informed American mtnd how Impossible it would be for Japan and her two allies to fight a land war ot this glgantlo dimension with any hope of success. But success or failure, what would such a struggle mean to the commerce and destinies of civilised mankind, in cluding those of the United States? Let us imagine for a moment the tri umph of the Japanese with the aid of Oreat Britain and the United States. The Japanese would be the main factor in the conflict They are nearest the scene of the encounter and would place more men In the field than their two allies combined. , The glory of the vic tory would be hers, in eastern minds and imagination. Her prestige .would become- enormous, and China could not and would not stand as an independent empire or long against the domination of a power that had succeeded in beating a mighty antagonist like Russia. What, may I ask, in such an event, would bar the way to the organisation and development of the 8S0.000.000 of the kindred Chinese race? Japanese skill and administration would build up a yel low nation ' greater than any of the colossal empires known in human his wiry, S nnxzi An mi roumos. Prom the Kansas City Star. Senator Burton, in his demurrer in the United States district court at St. Louis, makes a fine ethical distinction between a snitch operating on his own account and "V snitch operating as a United States senator. This process of reason ing need not be followed by the distin guished body of which Burton is a mem ber, unless it desires to be placed lii the light of giving Its sanction to graft ing and disreputable pettifoggery. The proof that Burton dishonored his profession as an attorney is so clear thai he himself does not attempt to deny that he accepted fees In the sum of $2,600 from a fraudulent get-rlch-qulk concern, , operating in violation of the federal postal laws. He sets up the lame and flimsy contention that the In terest of the United States in the affair was. limited to the issuance of an order to prohibit the transmission of mail to and from the company, , and that -"no question of governmental Interest or policy was Involved.", , That sort of an argument may Justify the act of Burton to the man capable of performing It, and it is possible that it may be accepted by the United States senate, but it wUt not stand the test of public opinion. ) The whole business was venal and unbecoming any lawyer In private life with the least particle of professional pride and self-respect It . was flagrant enough to precipitate the admission in -Kansas Where Burton was known for just what he is before his election--that he Is "finished" since he has been exposed, and -the United States senate certainly cannot afford to do less than to follow the lead of Burton's own constituents, and repudi ate him.. ..... . .. ,.i lj-.'.-. .,.- The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde theory of politics Is what is going to ruin the United States of America unless the honest people of ' the republic punish with political banishment as well as with social ostracism all who attempt to practice it An axiom that should be inscribed "on the bells of the horsfcs" Is that no private knars can be trusted as a publto servant i , . SmaU Change China, to Secretary Hay's note: "No SabS." . .. , .y.-::. , ...vVV- , The map maker ; may have a new job before very long. , ? , Powie "must realise In Australia that he is far away from the model "Zlon," If any Oregon farmers have bed any "May wheat" lately, they .should bs "happy as the flowers in May." Some Panamanians are ; dissatisfied. Not es many offices have been created as there are adult males. - Portland Democrats seem determined not to imitate the Republicans in hav ing a row among themselves, '.' 111. .r:: ii; -f;-; :l .The white paper trust should be ren dered black and blue, metaphorically, by blows, from swindled customers. ; Some Russian1 names don't afford the funnygraphers any opportunity- Harbin, Dalny. and Port Arthur, for example. Ko only Sellwood, but other portions of the city, will rejoice' if it shall be decided to rebuild the woolen mills there. .' ' '. '.; . ... The Japs have reaped the disastrous reward , of over-confldence bred' by their first successes, and will go slower hereafter.-.. ' r The principle on which some news papers are conducted Is to try to ridi cule everybody who doesn't quite agree with , the proprietors. . Old Spain preparing for war Is some thing - like John L. Sullivan training for a prise fight It Is time for both to "do works meet for repentance." When the question. Who is respon sible for fur-thief Kelley's release Is asked, several officials point at one an other. It's always "the other boy" that did the mischief.' Many people are disposed to look with leniency, it not approval, upon the per formances of young Larkln Flannlgan in swindling gambling clubs. Yet It remains true that stealing from a gam bling boss by bogus checks is unlaw ful. In a practical sense that gambling is not Don't growl about the rain. Taking it the year through. It never rains too much in this part of Oregon. The more rainy days there are now. the less there will be later. A year ago now clouds of dust were flying, and the present growlers wnmea ror rain na got it in July and August How would you have liked to be "back east" this winter? A great and clearly manifest wrong has been perpetrated upon the settlers upon lanas now juaicuuiy awaraea to the Northern Pacific railroad. Will a great and nrofeasedlv lust nivuitmcnt right that j wrong? And will it do so with all practicable promptness? Prob ably not. Yet this is a plain and press ing duty., Commander Booth-Tucker wants the government to loan 160,000,000 to set tlers that the Salvation army desires to place on arid but Irrigable land. The proposition may not be "constitutional," oui me government na spent minjr a $60,000,000 In less useful ways. It is a "great scheme." an honest and a right eous one, and deserves favorable con sideration. A boy of IT and a girl of II were recently married in Spokane. There's one chance in -many that the children may agree and prosper, and get along together with an average amount qf wedded happiness; but it is to bs hoped that the one in many chances wins. thnnrh anoti fnllv Aom not encourage such a hope. $ Salem' Journal: Is it wise? Is it right? Is it necessary? What? To carry the Multnomah county factional light into Marlon county? What has the party to gain by injecting factionalism into the interior counties? Tillamook Headlight: As there ap pears to be indications that all the countlea in the First congressional dis trict will have a favored son to nomin ate at the next convention,' it will be in order for the Headlight to nominate B. L. Eddy, ' so that Tillamook county can be represented in the grand politi cal shuffle tor congressional honors. If Harris was the speaker of the laat house, and obtained that honor by the courtesy of the gentleman from Tilla mook, Mr. Eddy was recognised the leader on the floor of the house during the last two state legislatures, an honor which he obtained by his own ability and force of character, and which en titles him to the congressional honors ir me convention maacs any cnange in congressman. . Salem Statesman: The Oregon Demo crats are talking Hearst tits Hugh Lee and others but not a word for Cleveland. The Statesman, If. yielding to a partisan impulse, would desire to see the Democ racy nominate its weakest man, but since no man whom it may select tbti beat one side of Roosevelt, It makes no difference to the Republicans. And yet being our brothers in political warfare Whom we like, it Is not possible to affect an air of indifference to their mis directed, 'or . rather, undirected wander ings in' tho uncharted field of supposed eligible candidates. So, with this friendly feeling predominant, we cannot suppress the Inquiry as to what objec tion nny Oregon Democrat can have to the nomination of ,- Orover Cleveland. He was their only winning candidate for 50 years, while Bryan has led thern to defeat twice in eight years, snd yet they appear to detest Cleveland and to listen to Bryan. If there Is any sin cerity In the universal Democratic ad mission that free silver Is dead, what objectton can any Democrat have to Cleveland? , BAVXBX TXB TOT KSTOL. An Ohio legislator, having Introduced a drastlo bill prohibiting the manufac ture and sals of the deadly toy pistol and dangerous explosives, the Cleveland Leader truthfully says: mis measure provides a sweeping and radical remedy for a great and grow ing evil. The toy pistol and the cannon cracker claim 'their victims by the hun dred In all parts of the country at each recurring Fourth ot July. In this city last summer, nearly a score of persons died of lockjaw due directly to wounds produced by those explosives, snd scores of other wounds were Inflicted i which put the Victims In peril that was only averted by the prompt and efficient aid of surgical skill. There should be no Question tn tha action of the legislature with respect to tnis Din. ir any otner evil of like pro portions called for correction: the ac tion of the lawmakers would .be prompt and effective. . . POLITICAL POINTERS I ,