The Oregon daily journal., December 24, 1905, Image 6

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illlD gjJ 13 1? Gi Q 11 11 - -SUNDAY.. DECEMBER 1803.
PORTLAND. OREGON.
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.-ev
M5triat Page
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THE ORE G O N ' SUttD A Y J OUR N A L
J AN . INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER
C. f. MCXMM
PUBLISHED BY JOURNAL PUBLISHING CO.
t0. Tf CAMOU
KEEP DOWN THE LEVY.
TWT EXT TUESDAY AFTERNGQJJ at 2 o'clock th
I l city council will meet to accept or reject the
report of the committee on . way and mean
fining the tax levy for the coming year. It is said that
the council i very closely divided and there is likely to
be a -lively fight over the proposition of making
higher levy. ' i
- This the taxpayers of the city should , vigorously
oppose. They should turn out en masse to the council
meeting and show by their presence how they feel. The
levy recommended by a bare majority of the ways and
means committee is S2 mills. This will yield a revenue
of $72,000 in excess of what was raised last year, or
$6,000 a month, or $200 a day. . Resides this there are
carried over from this year's . balances $48,000. The
council therefore might spend $100,000 more than last
year and yet have a balance left at the end of the fiscal
year. This, it must be remembered, does not include
the $117,000 which will be specially raised to meet the
amount voted by the people to-pay for the south side
bridges. ; y,. V...'" '
The S.2 mills levy; should be amply sufficient to meet
every reasonable demand. ' - .
A REAL ELECTION OF AN UNITED
SENATOR. ''.'
STATES
AT A TIME when politicians and offlce-seekerx.are
vying with one another in their protestations of
.V loyalty to the direct primarylaw, ft js wel to
ascertain exactly what these declarations mean.. Whether
purposely or from too superficial study, the real signifi
cance of one important provision of the laW appears thus
far to have been ignored. This provision relates to the
expression of the popular - choice for United States
- senator.',,- '": - . ' -
. The law provides that legislative candidates may make
either one of two statements in their petitions for norm
nation in the primaries. The first statement reads as
follows: . '.: "
' "I further state to the people of Oregon, as well as
to the people of my legislative districi, that during my
term of office I will always vote for that candidate for
United States senator in congress who has received Ihe
highest number of the people's votes for that position
at (the general election . next preceding the election of
a senator in congress, without regard to my' individual
preference. . .. , , , .';
If unwilling to make the foregoing1 pledge, the legisl
tive candidate may make the following declaration:
"During my term of office I shall consider the .vote
of the people for United States senator fin congress as
nothing more than a recommendation, which I shall be
at liberty to wholly disregard if the reason for so doing
seems to me to be sufficient ' ?
Every member of the legislature, whether Republican
or Democrat, who has subscribed to the first of these
pledges, becomes thereby bound to vote for that candi
date for-'United States senator who has received the
highest popular vote in the June election, regardless
of the party to which the candidate betafigs. , . ,
The language is too plain to admit of dispute. If John
Smith, Republican, has received the highest-popular vote
in the June election, every member of the legislature,
Democrat as well as Republican, who gave the pledge
in aaestion. is in honor bound to vote for Smith for
senator, If the popular choice has fallen on a Democrat,
it becomes the duty of every 'Republican legislator who
subscribed to the same pledge to Join his Democratic
colleagues m carrying out the people will. ,
Party lines are to be obliterated and the legislators
are to bow to the voters' decree, regardless of their own
individual political affiliations. If the plain meaning of
the law is to be observed Oregon may witness the
anomaly of a Republican legislature electing a Democrat
to hd United States senate, or vice versa. This is no
fanciful, hairsplitting interpretation of the law, but the
inevitable conclusion from-its "plain terms.-' The law is
peculiarly the enactment of the people of Oregon, for
it was adopted through the initiative, by an overwhelm'
ing majority. . -
, Are the gentlemen who are so readily pledging them
selves to the support of the direct primary .law prepared
to uphold it in this as well as its other features?
A WORTHY OFFICIAL
TN THESE DAYS of colossal frauds' in public lands
I Oregon is fortunate in having a state land agent
. ' who is doing his duty fearlessly and thoroughly.
Oswald West is making an enviable record for himself.
Governor Chamberlain's instructions in appointing West
were simple and concise, though the task, imposed was
big one. The governor told his. appointee to bring
order out of the chaos in-the state land office and to
unearth and expose the frauds which were believed to
-. exist, no matter who might be involved. -West has fol-
. a t t t . . . - . J ... . t. . . t
' jowea ills instruction 10 wie jeucr ana wuu ine am 01
. the governor he has achieved startling results.
. Eight or ten months ago West placed in the hands
of the district attorney of Marion county evidence of
huge frauds; in applications for state school lands. It
"-was demonstrated that immense tracts of land had been
secured through forgery and perjury and often the pre
tended applicants were purely imaginary persons, put
forward by the. ring of swindlers who were preying -on
the state's domain. Unfortunately prosecution was
barred, in a number of cases, by the statute, of limita
tions, but wherever practicable indictments were secured
e,nd the trials wilt" take place in the near future. West
was untiring in his efforts to get to the bottom of these
.-,1 . , u-- .u ' 1.1
convict those concerned. ' - . . ; :
- But the worlr was not yet finished. . West became sus
picious that some one had been counterfeiting the cer
tificates of sale issued' by the state to purchasers of
school lands. Suspicion soon became a certainty and the
Hate land agent entered promptly on; this new, field of
- investigation. As a result he discovered that bogus cer
tificates for tens of thousands of acres of school land
had been sold or. hypothecated to eastern bankers and
. - - , o w vm av-i villViaif VI HIV
) tate .land department had been cleverly forged" and even
tli seal rtflhe state "hail Keen rminterfeitei Pt.rat.intT
his inquiries. West discovered that the frauds were the
..work of those arch rogues, S. A. D. Puter and Horace
G. iMcKinley, and he at once took steps to have them
prosecuted. Owing to the fact that the frauds: were
committed outside of Oregon, it seems to be impossible '
-to prosecute the swindlers for these particular offenses
in the courts of this state, -but there it good prospect!
that proceedings will be commenced in some other state.
It will be through no fault of the state land agent if
the men who are responsible for the Oregon, school land
raudVeseape the punishment which they deserve.
If Oswald West. had been less honest, less persistent,
ess capable, Wny of these frauds might have remained
undiscovered until all possibility, of punishing the crim
inals had beta lost - : -
"VANITY ' FAIR" AND "COMEDIES HUMAINE."
A MONO the world's marvelous workers, entertain-
- . era and instActors in the field of so-called light
literature were two very different men in na
tionality, teniperament, ideals and style Thackeray, an
Englishman, a Protestant and ; half a republican, and
Balzac, a Frenchman, an ultra-monarchist and a Catholic.
Thackeray is humorous, but there is mOre Ahah mere
tickling of the sensibilities behind his laughter, inougn
he wrote many books he had only one 6tory, and' he told
and retold it in many varying ways. His single theme
was the central one of Ecclesiastes. "Vanity of vanities, ill
is vanity, saith the preacher," and in his best known book
he took the title of one of Bunyun's chapters. The France
of whidh he was so fond gave him a lightness of touch;
but the somber England that was part "of his bone and
flesh gave a weight tq his layings and a depth to. his
thoughts.' No one has equaled him in impressing a great
truth, in driving home a moral while you imagine' for
the moment you are listening to the trifling gossip of
an agreeable prattler. f
Balzac was more direct abrupt, inconsiderate of feel
ings, at times as it seems brutal; he tore off masks with
merciless power: he had no time to dawdle or take long,
winding roads to reach his goal; but he never forgot
his art nor his object, to portray human life truly; he
it was who designed and largely carried out, with aston
ishing knowledge and industry, that stupendous concep
tion, the "Comedie Humaine."
A. Christmas .day reminds us of "Vanity .Fair" and the
Comedie Humaine." Tomorrow, if you could and chose
to put yourself in a variety of places, and. among all
sorts of celebrants, you would be in "Vanity Fair"; you
would see re-enacted all phases of the "Comedie Hu
maine." Christmas, more than ordinary days, is a day
of religious fervor and devotion, of drunkenness and
debauchery; of charity and generosity, of malice and
misery; of comfort and pleasure, of catastrophe and
crime; of goodness and glorification, of greed and glut
tony;, of praise and worship, of cant and cursing; of sin
rnd suffering, of sweetness and satisfaction. "Vanity
Fair"; the "Comedie Humaine"! - .
Through cheering Christmas sunshine generated by
numberless good thoughts and deeds, by high hope and
happiness, and countless impulses of virtuous love, fall
the salt tears of the sorrowing and suffering, the dis
appointed and neglected, the afflicted and despairing.
At the lower extremity of the beautiful rainbow you
may find either comedy or tragedy, at the upper an
angel with dark storm in one hand and warm brightness
in the other. . . - . r i ' :w.,. ;
Beside the tottering, wrinkled, lonely old man a bright-
eyed, rosy-cheeked, lissome maiden sitsf across the ear
aisle are babbling baby and mumbling" great-grandma.
The patrol wagon rattles with the latest captured mur
derer past the carriage conveying a prelate to a cathe
dral Here comes Jhe sound of a wedding march; yon
der tolls the funeral bell. While, the leaves are falling
and rotting nature is manufacturing materials for spring
time buds and summer bloom. : "Vanity Fair ; the
Comedie Humaine." ft
In a "grand ball," "on goes the dance, and joy is
unconfined"; a few miles distant some occupants of
a wrecked train are agonizingly dying. In this house a
well-fed and happy father and mother gather their Joy
ous children about them for evening prayer and song;
in that a widowed mother with helpless little ones wails:
"Q Christ, did'st Thou not also promise us?" In one
room a student, even in his holiday, ponders how he
shall become wise and useful and eminent; from another
his ragged, unclean brother reels out to be . taken to
spend some days in jail among vagabonds and vermin.
Beneath one pleasant countenance beats a true and hon
est heart; another smooth surface masks a scoundrel
or hypocrite. Everywhere we are passing, especially
on this holiday, through "Vanity Fair"; taay witness
scenes of the Comedie Humaine. ' ... ; :
We write not pessimistically, only truly; but it is beN
ter to look chiefly upon the brighter side, the pleasanter
aspect; 'and the bright side is larger and the pleasant
aspects more numerous than on any former Christmas.
Year by year the world improves, has a better Christ
mas, and so it shall, we hope and believe, from year to
year, generation to generation, century to century, until
Vanity Fair' shall become more of a misnomer, and
the "Comedie Humaine" of some future literary artist
and genius will show far more of good and less of evil
than Balzac did or could..
of the Christmas season from the condemnation which
severe moralists are -disposed to fix upon it. Even if
it be granted that other thousands, the most part indeed
of all givers, indulges at this season in thoughtless,
haphazard giving, at an expense too often which they
can ill afford, still is it not good that the custom con
tinues to prevail and that the general giving goes on so
long as increasing thousands observe it with . careful
thought? Surely the world needs some such custom.
It never more surely needed it than it needs it now.
The struggle of life is close and severe. ., Success in one's
aims seems to' exact of each 'one a careful centering of
one's, thoughts upon self and, selfish interests. . It is a
go6d, a real boon to the race, that a custom exists stif
ficiently strong in its traditions to break through this
sacrea circle or sen. it js a great, matter that tor one
week in ,the year men's thoughts should be reversed and
turned -outward upon others and that affections long
dormant should be awakened to follow the thought
The beauty of the custoni is that it' involves all. Men,
women and children, rich and poor, all, all for one week
are in a sense swept out of themselves and brought to
think-of others and do for others. Happy the recipient
wno saau oe able to read m the gift, he shall receive this
Christmas eve the appreciative thoueht of the Biver.
Still more happy the giver who is permitted to read in
the manifest pleasure of the recipient the iust reward
ot his careful, discriminating and- loving thousrht
Happy the world when the mutual joy of suoh sri virife
snail oe more widespread. .Then Christmas Jojr will be
more than a 'name, and the custom, like wisdom, will be
juaiuicu oi ncr cnuarcn. ' ...
THE BREAKUP OF A BABY SHOW.
THE ART OF GIVING.
I
T WAS SAID in praise of jCyrus thejf.ounger that
he was fond of bestowing gifts upon his friends and
favorite generals. It is particularly related of him
that he took pains in his giving to study the needs and
talents of each one to whom he gave. He never was
so happy as when, able to surprise" a friend with some
gift some trifle perhaps, which' his knowledge of his
friend led him to think he would specially enjoy.
Whether this was true of Cyrus, or merely a form of
eulogy invented by his, admiring biographer, it is de
scriptive of the true art of giving, which consists mainly
in giving thought to the tastes and needs of the recip
ient with a view to 'the adaptation of the gift 1
It is often said that it matters little what the gift is,
provided only that it be made a token of the sentiment of
the giver. The extreme of this view js that (anything,
however valueless in itself,. may answer thepurposes of
a gift of friendship, since it is the friendship that im
parts its value to the gift. This is not quite true. At
most it is only half the truth. It does make some dif
ference, indeed a great deal of difference, what the gift
To be a true gift it must have value of some sort
in itself, value of a sort to be a fitting exponent of the
thought of the giver and of a kind to meet the appre
ciation of the one to whom it is given. It need not be
of money value, but its value must be intrinsic and feaL
A rose or a sprig of holly or a verse on a card may
ave no money value, but as a thing of grace and
beauty it has value as.Agift. and 'when made the ex
pression of friendship can hardly fail, to give pleasure.
A' piece of cane from the rosebush, however, or a chip
from the holly tree, or a bare piece of pasteboard could
hardly, save in very exceptional circumstances, fulfill
the same mission. The gift, to be a true gift, must in
its nature be i fitting symbol or exponent of the giver's
regard for the recipient, or else in its nice adaptation to
the recipient's character or needs or tastes it must be
an expression of the giver's thoughtful appreciation.'
Thought, then,, is fundamental to true giving, discrim
inating," appreciative thought, directed toward the 'Ob
ject of the gmng and determining the choice of the gift.
Thought, with a view to adaptation. -The ancient
biographer understood the true art of giving. The
principle endures, is easily' stated, its various, forms of
application are not difficult of discrimination, and alto
gether it seems a principle easy practice. But it is
not so. Thousands of weary brains this morning bear
witness to its exceeding difficulty., Not a little of the
weariness to which many waken comes from their con
sciousness of failure to realize this ideal after an honest
effort to do so. And yet shall it be said that their ef
fort is lost and has not been worth while? It ought
not to be so-said. It is this effort on the part of in
cressing numbers at thoughtful, discriminating, appre
ciative giving that more than all else save! the custgro
THAT TROUBLE WILL necessarily result from a
contesting baby show is a fact that everybody
knows, and the reasons for it netrly. everybody
understands. Things run along' with comparative sur
face smoothness and tolerably well concealed opinions
as to other women's babies, until the fateful, time of
rendering the decision and awarding the first prize for
what mother is satisfied r even mollified with less?
Then the storm, breaks loose, and feminine indignation
onfhe-part of many mothers cannot be suppressed.
But m Ves Moines, Iowa, the other day there was a
new occasion or excuse for maternal wrath in conse
quence of the decision of the jiicJge of a baby show., A
Jejvish baby, a little girl, happily unconscious of the
trouble she was to cause, received 80 per cent of the
deciding votes, and so was entitled to the first orrze.
but when this was announced, the. account says, "in
dignant mothers withdrew their children from the con
test, boycotted" the show and demanded that the fair
management refuse to give the prizes. A stormy ses
sion resulted. The fathers of the children competing
with the handsome little Jewess supported the conten
tion of the mothers 'and carried the youngsters from the
church parlors." So every baby except the little prize
winner w carneu away, ana me management . fright
ened into what at a safe distance seems a cowardly com
pliance, withheld .the prize, and so nerhaos escaoed the
fate of martyrs. As for the fathers who helped carry
the babies home, let us be charitable. They must have
food and shelter, especially in the winter time, in that
climate. .",'- '" .t - t
We are horrified over the massacre of lews in Rus
sia, but doesn't' this incident happening in a Christian'
church in ; the capital of one of the great American
states, show forth, in modified form of action, the same
spirit that prompts the persecution and slaughter of
Jew in other countries? It does not appear that little
Dorothy Myer was not in all other respects entitled to1
the prize, but the rumpus arose and became tragic be
cause she was a Jewish child.. Yet tomorrow these pro
fessed Christian men and women are to celebrate the
daychoseji as the annivetsary of Jesus a Jew, son' of
Mary, a, Jewess! . " ''.. , . - -.
NO STING FOR MOST IN
DjEAT
H.
that in the great majority of cases men die as they have
lived, usually without physical pain, almost Invariably
wimout remorse, with little or no thought of what s be
hind or before. He admits that there are eome ecep-
tions, and we imagine that other and equally reliable
testimony would greatly increase the percentage of such
exceptions; yet what he says is no doubt substantially
true in a great majority of cases. Nearly 11. cling to
life, as long as they' can get about and have vitality
cnougn take an active interest in mundane affairs, ot now
ever narrow limits; but the time comes, as death nearly
approaches, when this interest lessens, when anxiety
about what has been done or what if anything is going
to happen, ends; when there is, in brief, mental. as well
as. physical surrender and collapse; and if anything is
definitely thought about the future it is:- Nothing can
be helped now; or, in case of many: The ceremony is
sufficient; and so there is no more worry, no more suf
fering; in the absence of absolute pain there is already
peace; the tired mind weakens with the worn-out body,
and' both, perhaps for hours or even days before life is
entirely extinct are at rest as to this world uncaring,
as to any other unafraid. : r 7 .
There is abundant" evidence beside Dr. Osier's that
the ordinary death has no such terrors for either mind
or body as is usually imagined; and that not only death
itself, in one sense, but the near and gradual approach
thereto, is but "a sleep and a forgetting.". - 4
- Somehow, we can never sorrow for an old person who
has lived a tolerably good life, and with little or no pain
dies, as some do even in this little city almost every
day. It may be that there are rules and principles by
which they might have lived much longer, but when a
human being has. had his butterfly fling in this little
world and has grown old, and if, as we are taught to
suppose, death is inevitably "the common lot," why
should there be anjHgreat terror about dying? The
mind becomes dulled as the body weakens; care "folds
her tents like the Arabs and as silently steals away;
kindly death administers a dose of insouciance; and
death is as easy as the falling asleep of a tired infant
DOWN INTO THE DEEP SEA.
S
DR.. William Osier, the Baltimore physician who
gained notoriety some months ago in conse-
quence of a jocose remark seriously taken to
the.?ffect that men had outlived their usefulness at 40
years of age and it would be well if they were all chloro
formed at 60, has gotten into notice again by the state
ment, in effect, that deathbed visions and reputed
prescience are nearly all imaginary, and. "plain non
sense;" that in almost all cases a person-whom death
is nearly approaching is indifferent to past, present and
future, and that in this respect the Scripture saying with
reference to man and beast, "as one dieth, so dieth the
other," is true. Dr. Osier supports his assertion by his
alleged observation of hundreds of deaths, especially
studied with reference to noting and recording the sen
sations and sentiments of the dying; and be concludes
OLOMON to -the contrary notwithstanding and
he would sing to a different tune if he were alive
now there is something -new under the sun all
the time. "One thing that if not new in idea is an im
provement and "development in type is a diving Suit
constructed to resist deep water pressure and carry its
own ample supply of light and fresh air. ..With this sub
marine- habiliment a naval engineer has reached a depth
of 340 feet ami explored the ocean floor at leisure; and
if one may descend to that depth and stay as long as he
pleases, why not much deeper? He. says that dense
darkness prevails at 327 feet, a 10,000 candle power lamp
only lighting .an area of 90 feet radius. He saw many,
to him. strange aquatic animals, but. while' a study of
these would be interesting, his report suggests-to-the
commercial mind the' possibilities in the use of this new
contrivance for discovering lost treasures in sunken ships
the Brother Jonathan, off the Oregon coast, for in
stance. Possibly much "rusty" gold and silver could
thus be recovered and then, why should there not be
great mines of gold and silver on the bed of the ocean
as well as in the upheaved earth? . Then the more scien
tifically or sentimentally; minded could wander into sub
marine caves and grottoes; could, well armed, track the
sea seroent to his lair; sportsmen could have shooting
matches with the arms of the devil-fish for targets
since on earth we can t shoot at commercial octopi; ana
gallants could wop .with whatever . earthly arts they
oossess the elusive mermaid, and coax her to try to
outdo Anna Held when she charmed the magnates of
the steel trust ''.'','.:"".''."'
Let us hope that this is only the beginning, and that
ere long mankind will be able to descend thousands as
well as hundreds of feet under the water, and so find
new. realms and unknown worlds to inspect and enjoy
if not to conquer. There, in that vast area of oceanbed,
the avaricious money-seeker, the scientist the explorer,
the philosopher, the naturalist, the poet, even the pro
moter, can find employment and recreation enough. That
it is densely dark down there will be agreeable to some;
the Arizona man. will revel there because it is damp;
and if fish food makes brains we mar expect the wis
dom of the earth in a few generations to be greatly in
creased. Perhaps' we shall no sooner be riding over the
country in airships than for variety we shall also be
taking trips to the bottom-of the ocean. The Rocke
feller of the next generation can spend a few hours or
days directing a hunt for a Spanish galleon or a Neptun
ian gold mine, and rising to the surface can step into
his anchored airship and hie-himself away through sun
light and air to gay Paree or quiet Tacoma. The won
is moving sure epough. . i -,
HYMNS i YOU OUGHT
TO KNOW ;
The Angel's Song.
By Edmund Hamilton Bearei
(Thla. the roost pottlo of all the
Chrintmas hymna, wap written by an
American. Edmund , Hamilton Sear
(SandlRfleld, - Massachusetts.. April S,
1(10 Weston. Massachusetts, January
14. 1876). Ita (author was a Unitarian
minister, a graduate ot Union colleaa,
Schenectady, and of the divinity school
of Harvard. Although the hymn is
comparatively new, being published in
the Christian Register in issv. it nas
become popular and its use in church
services at Christmas time is almost
universal. Along with the older hymns
it is suna as a carol on the streets in
Kng land and in th oolonies on the last
few nlahts before Christmas. .
It came upon the midnight -clear, ,
That glorious song of old, '
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their htrps or gold;
"Peace to the earth, good will to man,
From heaven's all gracious king":
The earth in solemn stillness lay,
. To hear the angels sing. . . .
Still through the cloven skies they came.
with peaceful wings unfurled; . .
And still celestial music floats -
O'er all the weary world:..
Above its sad and lowly plains
They .bend on heavenly wing.
And ever o'er its Babel sounds, '
The blessed angels sing.
O ye, beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low.
Who toll along the climbing way,
with painful steps and slow
JjOok upt for glad and golden hours
urnia swiruy en me wing;
O. rest beside the weary rosd,
.And hear the angels sing! ' ' , '
For lot, the days are hastening en,
By prophet bards foretold, r
When with the er circling years "
Come round tne age of gold!
When peace shall over all the earth
".'Its final splendors fling,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now -the angels sing! ,
" Mahomet and the Mountain.
' From the Washington Post.
. In a pinch, Mr. I .a Follette mity decide
to ask the senate to come to Wisconsin
If he finds himself too busy to come
to the senate '' 'J ' . , i
r
sj"sase-sasss-t
OUR POSTAL SERVICE
, From -the New. York Bun.'
The keynote of the annual report of
Postmaster-General Cor t el you Is his de
sire to run his huge department strictly
as a business institution. It is Sr great
pity that it should be so nearly impossi
ble to establish and conduct the service
on1 such a basis. Its vastness alone
would make this difficult although
mere magnitude is not the most serious
obstacle. That is found In the fact that
In its development the service has fol
lowed"1 no clearly defined system. We
have had 41 postmasters-general In 11
years, and each has hung his attachment
to the growing structure in accordance
with his own Idea. The result is an
aggregation In which I some confusion
and a failure to attain the highest effl
clency are Inevitable. t ,
' A little mora than 1S0.0O0 persons are
employed in the ., postal , department
There are SS.1J1 postofflces in the coun
try, and the cost of the service last year
was ll7,!0I,72. The returns from sale
of stamps and other sources were II 51.
121,585. thus showing a deficit of a little
more than (14,000,000. Mr. Cortelyou
says that he is "less-concerned about
the deficit than about efficiency of ad
ministration." There will be no dls
agreement with him on that point Effi
ciency Inoludea economy, and the most
Important feature of the service is safe
and speedy transmission and delivery of
mall matter.
' The postal service. In the matter of
Its economical administration. Is nsndl
oapped by the tact that It is so closely
allied to the system of political patron
age. This is not and perhaps . cannot
be entirely overcome by civil service
laws. A little jolt la "given to the pat
ronage system by Mr. Cortelyou's defi
nite announcement that "fourth class
postmasters will be retained during sat
isfactory service." Another influence In
the same direction is the use of ratings
"baled - upon- ' inspectors' i- reports- and
other data" as a factor in appointments
rather than the arguments of delega
lions or tne presentation 01 petitions.
Both eome In ever flowing rivers, and
their many contradictory claims are. as
they should be, subordinated to official
records ot the service of incumbents. .
. Consideration is given In the report
to possible increase in - revenues and
possible decrease In expenditures. There
Is a suggestion that the present franking
system be revised, and a eommendably
conservative tone appears In the review
of the rural delivery system. There
a recommendation that , the government
own the wagons used for mail transpor
tation in cities, and that arrangement
be made for ownership e pneumatic
tube services of demonstrated worth.
At this time, when the rights of ship
pers occupy so large a place in affairs,
more might have been said in this report
about "fair and reasonable rates", on
mall transportation:' The department
paid to the railroads last year the very
comfortable turn cf 3,S84,K.17. The
Interstate commerce commission would
probably find this a rlcb field in Which
to exercise Itself.
' On the whole, our present service is
wonderfully efficient. We note with
impatience and a sene-of wrong the
one letter or paper that has been de
layed or has gone astray, and give little
attention -to- the. fact that ninety and
nine in every hundred eome safely and
promptly. The service Is not ideal, per
haps, but much ie being done to perfect
it It costs a big lump of money, but
we get a great deal out of It.
LEWIS AND CLARK ;
r i
. At Fort Clatsop. '
. December-1 i, The -next day," hew
ever, be came in a canoe with bis young
brother and two squaws. . Having treat
ed: Captain Clark so kindly st his vil
lage1, we were pleased to see him, and
he gave us two mats and a parcel of
roots. - These were accepted, ae it would
have been offensive to decline the of
fer, but afterward two fllea were de
manded in return for the presents,- and
not being able to spare those ertlclee
we returned the roots and mats. Cua
calah was a little displeased; In--the.
evening, however, he offered each of us
one or the squaws, ana even this being
declined, Cuscalah as well as the whole
party of Indians were highly offended;
the females particularly seemed to be
much incensed at our Indifference about
their favors;- The whole, stock of meat
being now completely spoiled, our
pounded fish became again our chief de
pendence. It bad rained constantly all
day, but we still continued working,
and at last -moved into our huts. -
a iJcrmon,ior
, -Today
THE CHRISTMAS GIFT.
By "Henrv Pnt(
-U,nJM0u u born th' dav in the city
?L.5VV1 . 8v'or which is Christ the
Lord. Luke ii:ll. . .,.,.
u
NDERLTINQ all-the other slg- v
mnoances of the Christmas
seaaon there la the fact it cele- -
" a new era. - it is no ac
cident or mere mechanical contrivance -that
we date all our events- from the ,
birth of the Babe of Bethlehem. There
is more than difference In reckoning be
tween B. C. and 'A. D.f there la great
difference In spirit, in the thoughts ot
men, and the trend of history.
The new day began With the dawning
of the understanding that heavon turned -to
eartbrwith love and longing. Angela
bending ovsr shepherds were the mes
seagsrs of the Most High, seeking out
the lowliest and promising to all classes . -the
time when, by the reign of peace and
good -will, .the harmony and felicity of
heaven should be the possessions of '
earth. The observance of this duv helos
to bring in that era of good will and to
fuinil that promise by bringing to- the
surface at least oneo a year the best of
kindness, generosity and happiness that -is
In us.
If Christmas had been founded on a
myth It would still be worth the cher
ishing. What could be better for us all
than a time when we rejoice In alvlrnr. -
in serving. In thinking and planning the '
good of others T Greatly ss the spirit,
of the season has been abused. It stilt
works for nobler things and thoughts
In mankind. The essential spirit of the
day is but a reflection of its origin.' That
was the day of heaven's great gift to ,
humanity; these, our days ot giving.
That gift of which the angels saha la
the measure as well as ihe sourbe of all
our giving. It was the gift of a life,,
and vain are our deeds and empty our
gifts to one snother unless there is also
this giving of life; they are but trade
and barter. Every living, loving, lasting- .
gift Is the gift of some life; it is the.
blood we put into a thing that gives IS
value.' ; ' i- , '
By that gift long ago' the Most High
sought to have men understand his love
for them. In some way there then be
gan a ltfe that all the ages, without a
dissenting .voice, testify was different
from all other lives, a life touched by a .
higher, nobler, diviner spirit; a life that
was truly a gift to the world, and such ..
that no other gift baa ever approached
It in value.. v. v.. -.- V -
All other things together have not so
enriched, inspired and elevated the
world as the. spirit, . the- example, the
words and works of the man who began
his life in the lowly manger.. 'Whether
stare appeared or angels sang then -makes
little '.difference; the life ; was ,
worthy of both and more. It has been
the star of inspiration and the song and .
glory of the ages since. Bo that It is
more than a figure of speech that speaks
Of this as a gift from on high and as ,
the outgoing of the heart of all to us
all. -The deeds of kindness, the words
of supreme wisdom and tenderest sym
pathy and comfort, the life of sacrifice.
and the continued power of thst life tc- '
this day, all come to this world as the
Infinite 'One seeking -to find, and bless.
and restore us all.
- : birth was the beginning of a new' ,
spirit in the world. Gone were the days
of hate and born the power, of the days
of love. Men learned a new lesson; they
began with, clearer vision than ever be
fore tof give themselves to their feU."
Iowa They followed that divine light,
end It led along paths of pain, and toil,
and loss; but it led to peace, and Joy,
and good will amongst men.
Thus Christmas day stands out as i
typical and prophetic in Its good feeling
of what all the daye shall be. Ita spirit
is the little leaven that shall leaven the
whole lump until every day Is Christ s
day a day of peace and harmony, of
Joy, and love amongst all the sons of
men, a day that shall last a thousand
years. - . - . . .
And the muslo that Oiled the air that
first Christmas night was but the pre-. .
lude to a song that grows ever sweeter,
stronger, . Continents long . silent . or
Ing catch the strain, new ages take
and over the din and turmoil, over
he discords and Jarring notes of
ourT greed, and strife, and hatred rises
nd more triumphant the angels
born anthem of peace and good
the glory of God in the good of
man. -:..---.
, - . i . P"
; Sentence, Sermons. , ':.' , $
"By Henry F. Cope. ' v
Good cheer chokee many a fear.
' ' ' "
The salt 'of the earth will have no
sour virtues. - '
e e - '
Angels are always singing where love
working. ;,. . v.,. ' ,f
Tou are never rich enough, to spurn
love, '-t- . '.. .- .
lettfh
'
77 I all fit
l
I
fr I more a
V . i
s. i neaven-
Sacrifice gives
any gift.
a heavenly grace to.
of ab-
Does the Shoe Fit?
From the New York Eventng Post
It Is rumored In Washington that the
bill to pension all who are "lonely"
was really introduced for the benefit of
Senator, Depew. ,
True charity knows nothing
sent treatment. "
Ood has only one school, for charae- -
ter, that of dally life. . v
- e -e. ..
The happiness reaped today depends
on that sown .yesterday. f
There Is no hiding from the sub
poenas of the court of conscience. ,
...-..'.. -
A man does not make an owl of him
self by making a donkey of others.?
. e e " "
The outgoing of the heart-t snother
means the incoming of heaven te your-
self.- ' ' ' - ,v
- ':' e .. ..
They hear best the angel's songs who
listen for earth's slghst
Peace with God ie not a matter of
patohlng.up a compromise, with the.
devil. -
The heart that burns with love la tbe
only thing that" overcomes hatreds,
: .''-. . ;.- -e ve -. ..... ,
Tears la the eyes are often tele
scopes that bring heaven near at hand.
- Tou cannot tell much about the
breadth of a man's mind by the width
of but mouth. .. , , .. L
I - t. - , e e , . -
There is something wrong with the
heart when it hurts you to see others
happy. . , ' ;
' ' Whatever helps lis -to ttfltfk more
kindly of another helps to "bring In the
kingdom of heaven. . ; V.
'".'"
Borne men think 'they ran put rash . .
In ond pocket and conscience Iti the
other, and by keeping - the left band
Ignorant of - the IiAis of the right live
happy ever after. . ' j
:.v