I
Editorial Page of The Journal
THE JOURNAL
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Habits are soon assumed,
but 'when we strive to strip
thenT-'off, 'tis being flayed
alive. Cowper.
APPOINTIVE AND ELECTIVE
. COMMISSIONS.
A
PORTION of the joint commit
tee of the legislature on rail
roads hat decided , to report
that ' the three commissioners
created" by the , Crispin bill be ap
pointed by the governor, two of them
; to- serve-only until their successors
. are elected in 1908, and the other to
serve until 1910, when his successor
ahall be elected;-and -other members
of the committee wish . two of the
governor's appointees to serve until
1910. -A few others are against al
lowing the - governor alone to ap-
I point at " aIl.T. In any " casei the
commission is to be entirely elective
by 1910, and partly'so in 19Q8."The
Journal believes this policy is a mis
take, '' ..
f It is said in support of the elective
- plan that several states have changed
their-laws-sa-aiRnnalt"the com
missions - elective instead of ap
pointive," This is true, but those who
adduce, this fact are careful not to
state the results of this change. In-1
dependent and expert testimony is
overwhelming that the people, have
not been served as well by the elec
tive as by the appointive commis
aions. The reasons for tttis are ob
vious, and have been repeatedly
. tated in The JournaL , , , , -r
An elective commissiorrnecesiarily
becomes the tool and the prey of
partisan politics, and its personnel
is -decided largely by individual popu
larity or ability to get votes, rather
than by fitness for the office. A gov
ernor is not so likely io play polii
, tics regardless of the people's inter-
, eti as leaders and aspirants are, be
cause he knows and. feels his respon
sibility and accountability, and -that
the people are watching him. Most
of the stuff printed about 'taking a
sicred right away from the people
s merely claptrap, designed to
weaken the commission and discredit
its work though we do not think
this is the purpose of the members
of the legislature who favor the elec-
tive plan. T T"
An article reprinted on this page
from the Los Angeles News is worthy
of attention ''We know by experi
ence,'' it says, "the futility of elective
- commissions. -The whole theory of
elective commissions has been utterly
discredited in this country and the
world over.' The Oregonian ia on
the wrong track. Let it look across
the boundary and see the danger
signal" The News is perhaps' not
ware that the Oregonian sees the
"danger signal" all .ight; that-is why
it is polling for an elective commis
sion, so that perad venture it will be
come "utterly discredited" in this
tate as well as in California and else
where. The change from an ap
pointive to an elective commission
has invariably been both a sign and
a -weana -ef-thU ditcred k,-end-of its
decsdence in will and power to serve
the people. -The reasons for this are
rvot far to seek. ,
The tendency, one beneficial to the
people, as they have discovered slow
ly; is toward concentration of power
in a responsible, accountable head.
.This is particularly true in municipal
government, but the principle applies
to state administration also. Disper
sion of power is also, necessarily, dis
persion of accountability. And if the
people can get tne ngnt kind ol a
' governor we don't believe that one in
ten of them wants to vote'on com
missioners. We have never heard
of them clamoring to elect superin
tendents of the penitentiary and asy
lum. They don't desire to do so, and
- it is only politicians with ..a - self ii.li
ambition and . opponents of railroad
regulation who are worrying lest the
people be deprived of the privilege ol
electing the railroad commissioners.
The report of the railroad commis
sion is in favor of the first appoint
ments' beil'g made by Governor
Chmbrrlain,which Jo that extent
suits The joiiruaj, but " tVji piper Ts
not nrging an appointive commission
' on Governor Chamberlain's account
i all, but as matter of principle
and right, sound policy. ; Very likely
a Republican will be elected governor
to succeed . Chamberlain, and The
Journal will be found then, if the
question arises, taking precisely the
ssme ground Undoes today. Mike
that governor actually as well as in
theory the responsible chief state
executive and administrative' officer,
and keep the commission- and other
sub-administrative officers out of pol
itics atd away from vote getters.
. ', " - 1 ,.
NO "PIECEMEAL REVISION."
THE . FARMERS of . the . wheat
1 belt in eastern , Oregon, in
whose behalf principally a me
- moriai .was proposed in the
legislature asking . congress to re
move the duty on jute and manufac
tures thereof, 'will secure no favor
able response from the national leg
islature, - It is reported from Wash
ingtoa that congress is not in favor
of any such piecemeal revision of the
tariff. If this duty were thus singled
out for excision, the people particu
larly interested in and benefited by
its maintenance would not only ob-
ject and Troterttmrcyw6uTd call
on all the cohorts of protected inter
ests to rally to their aid, and not in
vain, fey; it is by standing solidly to
gether each for all and all for each,
that they are able to defeat any re
formatory revision of the tariff,
piecemeal or otherwise.
The farmers are not in the game,
and must help pay the" added cost
not only of grain bags but of a hun
dred other necessaries without get;
ting any appreciable benefit, because
in their surplus products there is no
foreign competition, and because they
cannot: combine as -Other, producers
dor-:Ncr. attentions paid to them if
they ask for a favor, for they are
not in a position to reciprocate; they
have ho "pull" and are but slightly
oxf eebly- represented
There is one thing the farmers
might do, and that is to organize
locally all over 'the country, and es
pecially in the west, to the extent of
agreeing to vote for only such can
didates for congress as would work
and vote for thorough tariff revision,
but until they do this they are not
likely to get any favors at the hands
ofccwgresr ;
It is also reported that, the ' Re
publican leadera at the national capi
tal are in doubt whether to try to
revise or pretend to revise the tariff
this year,. or next, before the elec
tion, or take the chance of letting it
go and promise to revise it in 1909.
The latter course will probably be
pursued, snd the promise not kept,
to any considerable extent, ao the
outlook for cutting off the enormous
plunder of the special interests
through protection for the next few
years looks rather slim; yet farmers,
w'orkingmen and other non-protected
people could bring tariff reform
about" before long if they' would
unitedly demand it. . ..
But they won't It is only those.
as a rule, who are particularly and
noticeably pinched, as' in the ease of
the wheat growers, who ask for re
liefZ No-the tariff -cannot -be re
vised-- piecemeak The-w4io4e-system
of . "reciprocal rapine" must be bat
tered down together. "
A THREADBARE THREAT.
THE Salem Statesman- says:
"Oregon wants and deserves to
grow; ' Do nob hamper the
growth by VnyTaort" of fool
legislation."
. From the generll but reserved and
ssjt seems rather suppressed tone
of the Statesman on the railroad
question,' the above advice is inferred
to mean: "Don't enact any legisla
tion to offend the railroads, lest they
refuse. -in revenge to help develop
Oregon."
Thisview- of -the-matter-wonld-be
entitled to more consideration and
weight if the railroads had gone
ahead in the past and helped develop
Oregon, and caused it to "grow,"
instead of refusingyear afteryear
and decade after decade to build into
and open np resourceful regions
waiting for them and unable to
"grow" without them. The railroad."
cannot treat Oregon any 'worse in
this respect than they have done for
years, and especially; since they all
passed under the control of Mr. Har-
riman. Are the people forever to
keep quiescent, inert, supine, dumb,
under these conditions, les( the rail
road tyrant should try to serve them
even worse? "
This is always the plea made when
ever the people seek- to. control rail
roads and compel them to have re
gard for the people's interests don't
do anything rash, anything radical,
anything, in fact, to arouse opposi
tion and retaliatory action on the
part of our puissant masters, for they
can do the state great damage If
they are" interfered with, . the state
wonTgrow. WeTnuirTrl them Tiave
their own way or tfiey will take dire
vengeance upon ns. Thus it was
argued in Iowa, in Wisconsin, in
Texas, and in other ststes, but when
the people went ahead and legislated
in their own interests, regardless of
these veiled threats, they discovered
that they were mostly a bluff, and
that the railroads, when assured that
the people were not to be turned
from their 'purpose and were sus
tained by the courts, accepted the
situation and let the people have
their way. ;- C.'. ; .
In Oregon so far the railroads
have had a pretty good thing without
helping Oregon to grow, except in
minor ways, such as distributing lit
erature,; and it seems that they did
not care whether Oregon grew or
not, rather preferred it should not,
so that by exercising the proposed
control over railroads the people
have nothing to lose. A good many
other states have similar laws, and
the railroads have not prevented their
growth; qn the contrary they havel
grown all the faster because of
these laws' and of standing up for
the'people's rights. .,
So it will be in Oregon. It is bound
to grow and the railroads will help
llL-the.. more-it -duly regulated. The
proposed law will not cause them to
tear up their tracks or quit running
(heir trains, and as to sufficient ser
vice they surely cannot be much
more remiss than they' have been.
Such talk as the remark quoted is a
bluff. '7 ; .-
Besides, even if some slight temporary-ill
results should follow, are
the people of Oregon to go pn per
petually playing the part of Mr. Har
riman's vassals? Do the collective,
independent manhood and sover
eignty of the-people-oJLa-great-state
count for nothing, that they shall be
abjectly surrendered to a Wall street
railroad Kingwith6ut"a"struggle? Are
we to grow, if at all, only by paying
whatever tribute Harriman may ex
act? Are wetosay:-iPleaser good
Mr. Devil, don't be too hard on us,
for we assure you that we are not
going to lift a finger against any
thing you do, and in our own be
half." - ;
If this be the spirit of the people
of Oregon, they deserve no, relief,
and any treatment their tyrant may
accord to them is good enough for
them. Letusat least be men, not
mice. Let ns not admit that we dare
not stand up for our simple rights,
but are servile creatures vho lay
down our arms in a righteous cause
at a mere empty threat
, PRINCIPLES RATHER THAN
. PARTY. .
TIE subordination of partisanship
to principle that has been sev
eral times observable in the de
liberations at Salem is a commendable-
eharacteristie-of the- pres
ent session, A notable instance is
the attitude of the several Republi
cans who voted to sustain the gover
nor's veto of the board of control
bill. . Another is the action of four
Democrats who voted for a Repub
lican for president of the senate. It
it exactly such actions as the people
of Oregon approve. - A hidebound
party man- who puts party considera
tions above publhr-consideratfont
cannot serve the public well in any
capacity, because ihecannot be just
to all alike. His mental horizon is
nsrrowed, and his judgment warped
and unsafe. .
When Republican Senator Kay at
Salem announced that his vote was
with. the Democratic executive's veto
becsuse he could see no good in the
board of control measure, he sounded
a keynote of incalculable value. His
action was quadrated,-not-by-the
needs of his party, but by the needs
of his state The future of the re
public and the weal of the state find
safest and surest anchorage in just
such acta as that' of Senator Kay and
h ia . coll e a gue a w h o -vot ed wi thh i m.
Tn3epehdencein thought and action
is a marked trait of the Oregon elec
torate as has been demonstrated on
many a notable occasion, and in pur
suing the same course the gentlemen
at - Salem have conspicuous - prece
dents by which to square their acts.
A PROFOUND MYSTERY. ,
EGGS ARE higher in Portland
' than .for 25 years past, at
least, and chickens in propor
tion., This has been-tor many
years the highest market in the coun
try, or nearly so,' for poultry and
eggs,' and it appears that these pro
ducts are not increasing in proportion
with the increase of population, if
increasing at all. Consumption has
actually decreased, it is asserted, be
cause a large proportion of people
really cannot afford to eat-'eggi.and
much less chickens, except on rare
occasions, and have given them up
as luxuries beyond their -: means
Portland not only imports great num
bers, of cold storage eggs, but has
imported chickens also. Dealers say
producers"' wanf a-prohibitive price,
and producers probably, say dealers
want too large a margin of profit.
All the consumer knows is that be
has to have a good-sized income in
order to ,have fresh eggs for break
fast and a chicken for dinner occa
sionally.'''' "
This is a deepening mystery. We
supposed some years ago that more
people, noticing the iiigh prices here
for poultry and eggs the year round,
would raise them and that the supply
would gain on the demand, but the
opposite, has been the case, and we
give it up at something inexplicable.
Here all around are small farmers
and thousands of acrea of unused
land for sale cheap; here food for
poultry can be produced at small
cost, the climate is mild, and all con
ditions are favorable to the raising
of fowls and the production of eggs;
and yet they arc as scarce and high
as . they ought to be and probably
are in Butte or Ketchikan. At the
present rate eggs will cost $1 a dozen
in a Jew yeaxs b . 1
Some facta contained in the last
annual report of the president of the
University of Oregon should be of
general interest. . The total number
of pnpils, asidafromthose-Jn Ithe
law and medical departments, .con
ducted in Portland, was last year 319,
and the number of graduates was 7.
The attendance was from 21 counties
of Oregon, and 19 pupils came from
outside the state. Of the 300 Oregon
students 112 were residents of Lane
county, in which the university is
situated.' The total receipts last year
were $92,835.73. ,
. Eastern railroads have made a gen
eral advance in freight rates and it is
reported that southern and western
roads will soon do the same, the re a
son given being the increase in wages
and- higher- cost -of-materialsBut
before agreeing that the increase in
freight rates was justifiable on this
ground, one needs to know what the
railroads' earnings are on the actual
capital invested. . A full disclosure of
the facts along this line of inquiry
would probably show that the rates
are already quite high enough.
Members of 'congress have , in
creased their salaries 50 per cent
Other hired men think themselves
lucky if they have had their -wages
increased 10 per cent. --
"Some years ago Senator Peffer
and others were assailed as cranks
for advocating the loaning of money
on crops, but some of the men who
ridiculed that scheme think it is all
right to raise money on water put
into railroad stocks.
. Great Red Men.
I. HASSA80IT.
By Rev. Thomae B. Gregory.
That thara have been sxeat men among
the American Indiana so tin a who baa
carefully read their atory will deny.
Anions the children of the forest there
wer some mighty eptrita, gmt In native
Intelllcenca. great In courage, great In
executive ability, and. batter atlu, great
In ail the elements of moral Integrity.
-The first Indiana that the Kaw Eng
land settlers came Jo contact with were
the Wampanoags, whose hunting grounds
lay between Narraf anaett ana cape con
The bead aachero of the Wampanoags
In 1620 was Masaaaolt, a man whose heart
was aa white and aoul as noble ae those
Of any white man.
The Pilgrims had been npon the New
England coast bat a few montha whan
the . Waunpanoag -chief, -attended by an
eacort of his painted warriors, made a
vlalt to the white people, with overtures
of klndneas and good will. Fortunately
for all concerned Governor Bradford
treated the "savage" aa a "man aad
brother." rather than as a wild beast,
and It took tham but a little while bcaat,
and It took them but a little while to
draw up and ratify an offensive and de
fensive alliance between "King" Masaa
aolt and King Jamea.
After smoking the pipe of peace and
exchanging the heartiest of oongratula-Uona-upon
-tha friendly compact made be
tween them, the white men reaumed their
digging and building, and the red men.
In single file, marched away again Into
the wlldernaas. -. t ,
For half a century that compact was
sadredly kept en both eldes. The white
men were faithful to their promisee, and,
fully appreciating honaaty and fair deal
Ins. Masaaaolt remained true t hle-eoK
am n agreement.
This "savage" chief muat have been aa
diplomatic as he wee stanch, as wine as
he was good and true, to have held his
wild, barbarians fast to that treaty for
M years! It Was a tremendous taak, but
he did It Not once did the foreat king
ewerve from the path he had promised
his paleface brother to walk In; and
when the hour came In which he heard
the "Great Spirit" calling him to the
"happy hunting ground" he could depart
knowing that no white man. was able
to aay that be had broken his' word. '
"There Is no goad Indian but the dead
Indian" we used to aay end some of
ua are aaylng It yet. But the story of
Maaaaaolt alvae the lie to the mlaerable
f Baying. The grand old chief was a sav
age only In name. His heart was tender
and true; hie manhood was heart of oak.
. Arnold Dalya Deaf Friend.
Arnold ta!y, the' actor, had been In
vited to tell a. atory at a theatrical
banquet In New Tork.
"I always hate to tell a story," he
began, "because my Jlatenera may hare
heard It before What boredom that la
for them, what agony for me.
"It la like the ease of a friend of
mine. He la deaf, but trlea to conceal
his deafnese. '"" .
"And -one night at a dinner the hoat
told a atory at which everybody roared,
and my deaf friend Joined in and out
roared the whole table, though In truth
he hadn't heard a word.
"At the end of the laughter he held
up hie hand ee a sign that he wanted
to spank." ' r - " '
' That atory," he began, 'reminds me
of enother one1
"And then the' poor 1 fellow went en
and told the very eame' yarn the hoat
had repeated only a minute before."
Letters From the
V; People
.. Sunday Closing of Theatres. '
Portland. Feb. T. To the Editor of
The Journal The recent Indorsement
of a petition for the Sunday cloalng ef
theatres by the Ministerial asaoolatlon
of thle eity reveals aorae peculiar feat
urea What the petitioners aay they
dealre la the "civil observance of the
Lord'a day." In other worda, they want
a elvll law to regulate the observance
of a religious lnatltutlon. This la aa
plain as daylight from the language of
the- petition, which goea on to aay that
"ahows and - ataga plays are being ex
hibited on the afternoon and evening
of the Lord'a day, which are not mor
ally elevating in their effect" , Every
body -knows that ahowe and stage plays
are being exhibited every day In the
week, which are not morally elevating
In their effeet Why do these petition
ers doaire to have auoh plays closed up
on Sunday only? Oh, because Sunday la
the "Lord's day." They want' our law-,
makera to make a "civil law" to en
force the church Idea of observing a
day which .la . wholly- rellgioua. la Us
origin aa a day of. rest
Civil law. In Its true sense, never
forbids an - uncivil performance on a
certain day of the week. If .our civil
lawmakers really believe that eertaln
stage plays are detrimental to the gen
eral welfare of the state, they will pass
a law prohibiting such plays aeven days
la the week... at la-an. -impossibility to
make a purely elvll, law for the ob
servance of a purely religious Institu
tion. Suoh a law would be an ecclealae
tlcal Intruder wearing a civil mask. If
Sunday is the "Lord a day," as the peti
tion states, that is the very beet rea
son why no civil law should ever seek
to regulate Its observance; for the
American Idea of civil government for
bids anything that aavora of religious
legislation.
Does the Ministerial association take
the poaltlon that tbeee theatricals which
are not elevating on Sunday - are all
right during the remaining six aeventhe
of the week? Why not aak for a law
to regulate these performances ao as
to make them elevating? Then they
would be all right on Sunday too, un
leae they got eu popular thathuroh
members would rather go to the theatre
than to go to - church . and hear some
theatrical preaching and alnglng.
Our theological- polltloiana have
tried hard to cover up the ecclesiastical
nature of-thie Sunday cloalng eruaade.
but they let out their real reaaona for
desiring such legislation occasionally.
They lay bare the ecclesiastical feat
urea of their crusade and put the ques
tion where the only - consistent thing
for our legislators to do Is to let It en
tirely alone. HERETICU& -
CoL Hoferi Compliments to Brother
. . Geer.
' Ftom the Salem Journal.
One Oregon editor la staying at the
state capltol and editing the legislature
aa it unfolda and unwinds Itself.
That record will finally be laid before
the people and every roll call will be
scrutinised by the voters.
Now, what Is the use . of any man
with breine telling the people that all
that la done la excellent? If they would
paaa a bill to hang his grandmother's
remains on a dead tree he would say It
was a good measure. -
There la nothing that meets with his
condemnation. If the legislature would
order hie ears cut off and sealed up
and his eyes cloaed he would say Amenl
Before we would run such a rose
water aheet we would go to eawlng
wood for a living, and we would at least
be earning an honest living.
If we had a yellow dog that had no
more aenae of discrimination than that
we would sell him to the sausage-maker.
' Of what uae la any newspaper but to
give the people the benefit ot ita coU
umns and the critical faculty of the
editor to distinguish between right and
wrongt, . j N
Such a newapaper has no more effect
In this world than wallpaper paated on
the back of a woodshed.
Let a man be a man or a mouse or a
long-tailed rat or something or other
besldee , aa emasculated oplnionlees pol
lywog. ,
We cannot see for the life of us what
ThaS50d-Lord let suuie miauns get uul
of a newspaper for anyway, unleas it is
to prove that good government ean get
along -and . eslst without Jtad.ofa
toadying newspaper.
The Alienists. .
Portland. Feb." . To. the "Editor of
The Journal What Is the meaning 6
the word "alienist," as applied to- the
lnsenlty experts in murder trials, such
aa Chester Thompeon and Harry Thaw
cases? H. A. I
- The word - ts derived from Latin
"allenare, to estrange, hence derange;
"one who treats dlseasee of the mind."
Ed.1 ; - . ' ,
Two Enough.
From the Albany Democrat
Two normal achoola Is all a 'State of
the population of Oregon should eup
port. The fact la the population of the
state calls for only one, but geograph
ically the situation suggests two. Any
more than that is the worst kind of. a
graft. The members who support bills
for - the -eupport of nil the . normal
echooie donot represent - the beet In
terests of the state.. The Democrat la
heartily In favor of every effort made
to advance the ducatlon Interests of
the state, both In the public achoola
and In higher education, but believee In
running these things In a busineae way
with aa -much aagaclty as a man runs
his own bualnesa. The bualneae of log
rolling, under which the money of the
people Is juggled with. Is Infamous, and
to this Is due the Immenee spproprls
tlons for different things that would
never bo recognised but for the back
scratching process. The people should
watch their representatives and keep
their records on the different bllla
- California's Property.
The first month In the new year has
been one of progress In California and
reports show that all parts of the stats
are feeling the Influence of Improved
eondlttona. There Is continued short
age of laborers In many lines.
Conditions in San Francisco, so fsr
aa building operations and commerce
are concerned, are eminently satlnfno
tory. More than 13S.000.00I) expendi
ture la called for by the 7,714 building
permits lasued since the fire. It Is es
timated by architects and contractors
that fully tlOO.000,000 will be expended
In buildings this year. One. hundred
and fifty buildings are being erected
or have been completed and occupied
since the fire that ere between five
and 12 stories In height, and the total
number of permanent buildings erected
or In course of construction is more
than 7,000. . . -
California's hop and raisin crops have
been exhausted at the largest price
paid in many years, end It la aatlmated
that . the orange crop will amount to
10,000 ear loada. Which bring top prices
la the eastern market ,
Tke Indef ensi LxKty
of Suicide
By General William Booth, Head ef the
Salvation Army.
The act of aelf-deatruotion la a viola
tion of the naeredneas of life, the law
of the land and an outrage noon ire
n:oial sente of the people. Sulci le is
lbfefenalUl. .
Yet it is on the Increase In every lend
and among all claasea. Modern clvlll
utlon cannot claim It haa foetori and
developed U.e bor.de that bind men to a
juat appreciate of Ufa Statistics of
suloldee rre alarming, especially In
such countms aa Denmark, Bavaria
ar J aeveral parts of the German empire.
But no do-ibt many more perish by their
on r act ' vboe namee never appear in
tne statistical roll of suloldea
The offenae la either committed In a
way that bafflea human aklll In Its ef
fort to determine the cause of death, or
meant, are found by Influential friends
to hide away the erlma
But if so many with suicidal Intent
find conrage for the sad deed, who can
calculate the number who would cut
the sacred thread of life .which -binds
them to this world if they only dared?
'. Nay, bow many of the gay, laughing
crowd around us have at 'one time or
another contemplated suicide; and how
many this very day would hurry away
from the present atage of be)ng but for
an Indefinable dread of the future? I
believe the number Is larger than moat
people have the slightest conception of.
As. to the causes that lead to suicide,
they are numberlesa No doubt "tempo
rary Insanity," the reason commonly as
signed by the gentlemen who are so
often called upon to Inaulre Into the
matter, ia frequently the correct ona
For who, not worked up to some terri
ble flitch of excitement tantamount to
mental derangement, would commit ao
foollah a deed? s
But how does that derangement come
about? What is behind It?
. .The reasons commonly suggested are
drink, speculation, dissipation, gambling
and similar' folliea . These things lead.
It Is said, to all sorts of dlsappointmants
and vexatlona, under .the influence of
which weak, ill balanced, passionate
and unaaaiated mlnda gle way. enain g
only too often In the deadly recourae to
poiaon, the water, the revolver or the
rope. , - -
But further back In the string of
cauaea foe this melancholy transaction
I should say there too frequently lies a
sense of failure In the struggle of life;
especially Is this the case with those
who have "come down In the world."
With many I believe the step la taken
In tho struggle to be good In the vain
effort to master some hated evil habit
with the sense of utter frlendlessnesa
No one la at hand with sufficient
sympath or aense to understand them
to whom the poor bleeding heart can
be laid bare. So the fatal step Is
taken.- ' v.... .. .-.
Suicide In ninety eaeee out ef a hun
dred must be the triumph of despair.
'. e . . -..,
Is there a remedy? Like the antidote
to every human sorrow, the remedy
must begin with pity. It ia true that
self-murder is an evil thlng. But It la
only so many degrees "worse than other
evil things men do, by which they kill
themselves as surely ss does the man
who reeling beneath the weight of his
dietress In frenxled madness flings him
self beneath the' wheels of the roaring
railway train. -
For example, what about the people
that drjnk or eat or idle themselves to
death?
But Z will not argue the causes; ean
anything be done to prevent the suicidal
tide from rising?
That is the practical question. And
it seems to me we must supply the
friendless with a friend, the broken in
heart with comfort the dased, bewtl
dored ereaturea with-a guide, the mo
mentary maddened slaves of folly with
thoughts and hopes that will steady
them, and above all lead them to the
arms of Him. who la atlll aaylng,
Come unto Ma all ye that labor and
are heavy laden, and I will give yon
rest" .
As to Railroad
J ;
vjommissions 1
From the Loa Angeles Newa
Appointive railroad eommlaalons have
been found unaatlafactory, says the
Portland Oregonian, and. In the effort
to obtain results, the eommlealona have
been elective, thus bringing the mem
bers into cloaer relatione to the people,'
and reminding them mora frequently of
their responsibility to the peopla
Whereupon. the Oregonian seeks to
prove that elective eommlaalons are
more satisfactory in practloa It adds:
"In Its there were 11 commissions
appointed by the governora six elected
by the people and two elected by the
legislature. In HOI there were It ap
pointed by the governors, IS elected by
the peopla and on elected by , the legis
lature. 4n itoc there were 13 appointed
by the governor, 20 elected by the
peopla and none elected by the legis
lature" eee'...
Tills- Impression as to the superior
value of an elective commission la en
couraged by a ' passage n the report
of the Interstate commerce commission,
four years ago:
"It Is suggestive to note a tendency
tos change the manner of appointing
railroad commissioners In the last It
years. In 1S90 the general rule was
that commissioners -should be appointed
by the governor. ' In 1002, however,
election by the people had become the
most common method of choice." -
Several atatea. It la true, have aban
doned the appointive plan, for the elect
ive eommlaalons Kentucky, Minnesota.
South Carolina, South . Dakota Texas,
Alabama and Kansas, a notable Hat
indeed. Bue, here in California, we
know, by experience, the futility of the
elective railroad commission. , The can
didates (for this important office are
overlooked in th strenuoalty of the
political campaign. The nominees of
the dominant party machine go through
without struggle, ss wltneas the elec
tion of our own Theodore Summer
land. The whole theory of elective com
missions has been-utterly discredited
by this country, and the world over,
e e .
This Is demonstrated, particularly, In
sll the reforms In municipal govern
ment The greatest source of evil In
our American political machinery Is
diffusion of responsibility; we are try
ing to centralise responsibility; we are
trying to make our mayors of cltiea
responsible for the acts of their subor
dinates. We should do the same thing
in the state; a governor, who appoints
a commission, la held amenable for Its
acts by public opinion. An elective
commission does Just about aa Its own
ivext will suggests. .. The Oregonian is
on the wrong track. - Let it look across
the boundary, snd see the danger
slgnsl. . , - '' -
Hlllaboros new sawmill Is reedy to
operate, -
- Small Change
Thaw seems to be overloaded wttb,
lawyera
.'.'' e e
Maybe the Willamette la pretty mad
at those locka
'a
Nearly "time te predict the destruction
of all the fruit
Eggs have "broke" In price,
what are egga for but te break?
But
The legialature haa already done con
siderable good workin killing bllla ,
. - . , - e e
It ts rather a hopeful sign when the
council disagrees and breaks nearly
evenly apart ', t
.,., e .o ,-
"Never mind th weather" la easier ,
said than done If one 1 snowsd in oa a
gru bless train. .
.... , ' e e . - j-
Perpetual -franchises should be re
voked, but laws should not be based on
personal spite.
; :
.. The 40 days will be uo oa Waahlnav
ton' birthday. Will we have an extra
ordinary celebration? . t ...
. How much -a thing, for sal haa been -marked
up before it was marked down
the buyer never knowa (
e e ..r ' '.: ' . '
The Meldrum decision did not sound '
very good to some other appeilanta, - -but
their eases are not Just the sama
: 7-7 f ; -
It takes nearly as long for the coun
cil to pass a liquor license ordinance aa
for the United States Senate to deolde
the Smoot casa '
: e. e ' .'.
The fortieth legialatlve day will oc
cur on Friday, but the day of adjourn
ment sine die is generally, considered a.,
lucky on for the peopla
e .e ' ..v ,
What a national " reputation Senator
Mulkey might make by insisting on
making a speech, especially If he antag- '
onlsed some of the old una .
e ' e . ."'
' The many mistakes of faet Mr. Fred
erick J. Haskina make In his syndicate
letters remind one -of Josh Billings' ret
mark that It Is better to know less than
to know so much that Isn't ao. .
.... . . e e ... . . - .,
An ad In a . Dallas paper,- It- eaya,
"caused a. stray bull, to find Its own
er." One would auppoa that a bull that
could read the ade in a paper would
hare known enough to go homa .
Uncle Llje Smith of Coos bay Is not
In a position to ask any especial favors
of an Oregon leglalaAura ' JUe should be
kindly Invited to go 'way back and alt
down on hla 100,000 acre of land, and
try to hold It In that way.-
, a e
Senator ' Bailey of Texas) Is your
true congressional scrapper. "Ton. an.
a llah, sab,'" he says to a wltnesa Each.
makes a movement toward the other.
Bailey stops and says: "I beg youah
panoon, san; 1 aasuan yon, aan. that
meant no offense whateveh, aah, and
oonsldeh you a gentleman - of honah,
sab." And ''the Incident Is closed."
Oregon Sidelights
- .' : ..-f. 11 1 " Ai . 1 .. iia !
- A Heppner man recently shipped lit
range horses to Medicine Hat, Alberta
- . r . . e '-'. . . t 1 i-
. The rainfall at Grants Pass for th
paat 11 yoare ranged from 1S.8I Inches
in -18JI to 4I.H. in HOC -Th average
yearly rainfall was 12.61 lnchea
e e , 1
Portland under sheet of lea, Dallaa '
fair and balmy weather. Always thna
Dallaa Itemlser. Thla la newa that
Portland is always under a aheet of tea
' ' , e e .
A Keno man. says a eorrespondsnt -of
the Klamath Republican, was five
day hauling a load of hay from the
hole In the ground to the Ken mwvJ
mill. -
Development work at the coal mine
east of Medford 1 going steadily on, -and
with each foot added to the tun-
Is Increased, says the Mail.
There ( no fuel famine in eight here
says si Dairy correspondent -of th
Klamath Republican. I suppose this 1
largely due to the faet that we are not
obliged to depend upon a railroad for
our fuel. - . "
, e e
- A John Day man has an English eloek
over too yeers old, set In a double easa
and Indicating the , hour and quarter
hour when such is desired. It is full
jeweled, one diamond being aa large aa
the aet In an ordlnary-slsed diamond
ring.
' e e i
.
A great butchery of apple treea la
going on In Washington county, espe
cially In old orchards. - In many cases
they have been trimmed down to the
trunks and a few limbs. This is in an
swer to the popular agitation for get
ting rid of the Snn Joss scala
; -. ' .; ', e
A' Polk county man who lives three
fourths of a mile from a rural deliv
ery route has utilised the telegraph
poles for a sort of crane attachment for
an endless chain on a wheel at the
housa and so gets his mall without
tramping 1V4 miles after It. A man
near Amity uses a similar aevlca
a a
Rltter correspondence of Canyon
Eagle: ' The song of the coyote is
grow- I
Ing fainter and fainter on tne moan-
tains hereabouts. -r Herman Rosenbaum
has IS to hie credit Ed Davis It, and
Andrew Edllng hsd more than he could
count long since. Traps and strychnine
are doing the deadly work.
.. ' - - '. ,- '
Astoria, says the Astorlan, Is . Just
now In possession of conclusive proof -----that
she 1" to be an outer port no longer;-
that she Is to figure squarely on ,
the map of Oregon as an entrepot, a
depot, a real commercial center, a stopping-place
for terminal traffic by land
and sea something more than a mere
accessory to neighboring Inland cities, a
paltry station on th highway of com
merce. , """ ' .-.
Robert E. Lee.
By Julia Ward Howe.
(This poem waa written for "Colller'e"
and was read by Thomas Nelson Page
at the Richmond celebration of the hun- .
d red to anniversary of the birth of the
great Virginia cltlsen and soldier lest
month.) - - f . - i
A gallant foeman In the fight, ,
A DTniner wnen me I'xnx waa 9 er, aaW"
Th" hand that led the host with might ""A
The blessed torch of learning bore. ' I
- ... j
No shriek of shells nor roll of drums. '
- No !hullange-fierce, reaonnrtlng far, "v
When reconciling wisdom comes -To
heal the cruel wounds of war, . , .
Thonght may the minds of men divide.
Love makes the heart of nations ona '
And so, thy soldier grave bealde,
.We honor thee, Virginia's son.
t,
v ...
-44
i , ,
a !