THE JOURNAL
- AW IKDIPEN'PKNT NKWBPAritR.
a a JACKSON...
. . . PutitUhrr
Published Trj a nf (ex.-ept flunflay) nd
, every Bnndaf Brornlnf st The Journal Bulll
' tng. nrU and ymhlll str-ts. PurtUng. Or,
Entered at tht pnstorfle t PortUnd. Or., for
traneulaslua tbrougb (lit unlit n'oml (Iim
Smtter.
TKT.KI'IION IH MAI N TITS. HOME, A).
Al department! renrliod hy tbi numtwira.
Tll to oosrstor th department you wnt,
Kt Bldo offlc. H 2444 : tout 83.
rOEEIQN ADVKKTISINU KEI'KISICNTATIVK
Vreelurd Benjamin Sperlnl At!virtllnf Airr-nry.
, llrumwick HiiUdlnir Stitl 1-tfth arenae. New
, York; 1U07-4M Hvjre llulMluf. fhlc-ago.
obacrlprtrin Trm bv mall or to nr ddreai
n til Dotted UUtre, i aoaila or Mexico.
DAILY.
..3. 00 I One mcmCk I J
BUN PAT.
12.60 One month f .
DAILY AST) b! Nil AY.
17.50 I One month $ 83
0a rear.
Ob fmr.
Ob
Gentlemen, while we read
!, plstory. e make history. Be
cause our fathers fought la
this groat cause, we must not
hope to escape" fighting. Be
cause, two thousand years
ago, Leonldas stood against
Xerxes, we must not suppose
that Xerxes was slain, nor,
thank God, that Leonldas la
not Immortal. Every great
crisis of human history Is a
pass of Thermopylae, and
there la always a Leonldas,
and his three hundred to die
in It, If they cannot conquer.
And so long as, liberty has one
martyr, up long as one drop of
blood Is poured out for her, bo
long from that single drop of
bloody sweat of the agony of
humanity shall spring hosts as
countless as the forest-leaves,
and mighty as the sea.
George William Curtis.
the money assessed was used, or wan
to be used, lu building a railroad
over In Washington and In acquir
ing terminal grounds cm l'unci
sound. This, If corn5Vln fairly 11
rase of acM-lng Innult to lnjur. fur
the road to the Bound wan of flight
If any benefit to l'ortlnml, or t.
Oregon, and wan In fuel built, or t It o
preparations to build It wen1 made,
principally to antagonize Hill, be
cause he was building ft roufl to
Portland. That In, Oregon people's
money was upent to fiitht Oregon's
friend and t runsporf.it ion liberator.
For 10 years a lurge annual .sur
plus lia.s been taken out of Oregon
to be used for whatever purpose Mr
Harilnian desired, but none of.it, or
but little, has been used to build
new llneB or make extensions In Ore
gon. The people of Oregon have
been pouring millions a yr into
Mr. Harrlman's coffers, beyond good
fair returns on the Investment In the
O. R. & N. and getting nothing
hack. And now when they try to
collect taxes on the surplus Mr. Har
rlman pleads that he needed the
money not to benefit but to Injure
Oregon, or a friend of Oregon.
If this tax won't stick, perhaps
some other tax will. In one way or
another the people of Oregon should
actively refuse longer to be Mr. Har
rlman's serfs; 6hould show that their
power In their own state is greater
than his: and that he cannot con
tinue to plunder them and do noth
ing for them In return.
attend to your affairs; yon are
thick-headed and muddled and vis
ionary nd Incompetent; If you try to
do anything to help yourselves, you
will get into all sorts of trouble;
rom
th. A
THE PARAMOUNT PURPOSE.
PARTIES AND INTERNAL IM
PROVEMENTS.
1
A, AKTIUL.H puDiisnea else
where In this paper Interest
ingly narrates the position of
the two principal political
parties, so far as their platforms
show It, since the time of the earliest
political conventions, on internal im
provement. It will be seen on a
perusal of this resume that during
most of this time the politicians paid
little or no regard to this great sub
v Jecf. The first national convention,
that nominated Jackson and Van
Bar en in 1882, declared for Internal
improvements; bo did the Free Soil
, party In 1836, and the Whig party
In l&52--thongh very mildly. The
. Democrats in ,1856 "denounced" in
ternal Improvements, and there was
no declaration on the subject again
till 1880, Blnce when one party or
the other baa intermittently and to
a greater or less extent favored this
policy.
Now both parties are professedly
la favor of a broad, liberal and bus!
nessllke system of Improvement of
-our rivers and harbors. This awak
ened Interest in this great subject Is
due partly to the president's persist
ent advocacy of it, and to his ap
.pointment of an Inland waterways
commission and Its work, but It is
due even more, probably, to the en
ergetic and able work of the rivers
and harbors congress, In which Ore
gon and Portland have had a con
spicuous part.
It is regrettably true that the last
congress did nothing in behalf of
' this work, or In aid of this move
ment, Just as it did nothing to carry
' out any of the Roosevelt policies or
any movement or measure In the
- people's interest; yet the next con
gress, even If of the same character.
and disposition, can scarcely resist
the pressure that will be or can be
brought to bear by the people of all
' parts of the country in behalf of this
movement. Still, preparation must
fee made to exert all the pressure
possible, for the railroads and most
of the allied monopolistic corpora
tions are as a rule against this plan
for opening up our rivers to trie
greatest possible extent, and it. is by
no means certain that their influence
can be overbalanced by that of the
unorganized and for the most part
onrepreser.ted masses of the people.
Either Mr. Taft or Mr. Bryan will
undoubtedly do all he can to carry
forward this tremendously important
work, but what the country must do,
In order to git vhat It n-ds In this
refpet ns well a.-' In others. Is to re
place a lot of corporation congress
men with people s congressmen. A9
has often been demonstrate I, plat
form declarations union'. t to Htt'.e or
nothing; what is needed i ext year Is
men In congress who will carry out
the project of the rivers and harbors
ongress. and to this end an irr.
'iiMible pressure should be brought
to bear upon them.
HE PORTLAND morning paper
says that all it knows is that
the Democratic party of the old
days is dead. This being so,
is It not "Immaterial, Irrelevant and
Incompetent" to urge, as that paper
Insistently does, that the Democratic
Tarty of today, and the Republican
party, too, must be Judged entirely
by what they were in "the old
days"? No party fit to live and do
business is just what it was in "the
old days," of course, because these
are new days. We have all read
the consequences of putting new
wine into old bottles, and new
patches on old garments.
Parties cannot be entirely disas
sociatedfrom their past history, yet
their attitude toward present issues,
problems and conditions should be
the main point of consideration. The
Republican party is more easily to
be Judged and estimated than the
Democratic party, because It has
been In power most of the time re
cently. And the more recent Its rec
ord the more la it worth for the pur
pose of judging and estimating.
The Republican party made some
good declarations at Chicago, and
rejected other good resolutions, such
as the people favor, but even if it
had adopted them all, there Is its
horrible record, not 50, 20 or 10
years ago, but from December, 1907,
to May, 1908. No amount of de
claring or resolving or profggstag or
promising can whiten or cleanse that
record, the worst, everything consid
ered, that was ever made by any
congress in the country's history.
This is what gives the Democratic
party some ground for hope of suc
cess. May not millions of voters say:
"Whatever the Democratic party
may have been in the past, it could
not do worse than this, could not
more completely betray the peo
ple's interests. And if the party
could not be cudgeled by Roosevelt
into doing anything whatever cal
culated to benefit the people, what
can be expected of another like con
gress under the mild and politic
Taft?"
Bryan, admittedly the personal
incarnation of present Democracy,
"does not represent the earnest and
settled purpose of the American
people," it is said. He represents,
the Oregonian says, "the reactionary
pplrit of the past," "the accidental
aud superficial," the "untried ideas,"
the "vague longings of those who
think they want something but don't
know what they want nor how to
formulate their desire." Vet in the
next sentence it is said that "every
thing his party has contended for
these fifty years is now abandoned."
How can a man abandon all that Is
past and at the same time represent
"the reactionary spirit of the past"?
The whole criticism shows that the
writer was merely grinding out ob
jections, and that they were con
tradictory or without foundation In
fact made no difference.
Insist that the people, shall not have
the right to make laws. No more
conclusive proof of the Incomparable
value of the Initiative could bo
given. It Is a proof so patent, that If
on sheep, Just quit thinking about I the corporations attempt to break
public affairs and leave them to I down the system shall succeed, the I Amoni the most important projects
, ,.,,r c-n,d frlnnda iSn nnl,, I m that nrtll anama will in th Mo-, wnicil railed Or PHMHOge In the late BUS-
1 F " 1 Blon Of eonirroK lu th- Imnrnv.m.M ,.f
I ) . . 1. I 1. I . I - V, 1 I rrnar a I n " .... - r A -v e 4 . I . . a 1
mil wrj 1 11 in n. it is iiecuminsT &n K"bi otdi bocu iu vuisuii, uuu uuj iu i wur imiiunui wuierwuvH.
earnest and settled purpose" among which the corporations will discover LJAi''n ah,ttte.ve" y'.anX. of. ou.
I a t . . . a - I - ' v i t vn,, i u w win unni
an increasing numoer of people that I mac mey nave Bown me wina ana I ne principles involved in the iroin.ed
n truer, more real Democracy shall reaped the whirlwind. Those Ore- "51lut!,,5 "'Tf0Pr,!?'lonj Ihe ,"1't ,ls
lie established in this country, un-Bon people are In the right; they I pent, much ha been practically
der which the masses of the people have their minds fully made up, and
shall know better what they want the corporations and others who an-
nnd how to get it, shall become more tagonlze the electorate's purpose of
capable of deciding and obtaining, participating more extensively In
FOR WATERWAY IMPROVEMENTS
lermon tor
Tol
ay
V 1
mencan .Lumberman
The Heavenly Vinion.
Hy Henry V. Cope,
"I was not dUobedlent to th h,eavn
vUlon." Act, xxvl, 19.
boon wln
wasted not because it Vaa tmont In
every case on an unworthy project or
llOt Slclllfljltv Avnn.i.. Kut- t.i.i.. n ui.
there wae elinply no money enough to
uu ii. nun worm wnno.
There ha been ton much KtmrnnrU
and shall be far more correctly and public affairs are certain some time of nioney for the Improvement of
.... .. v. , . . I tream which could not be imoroved
or whieh. If Improved, would huve
navigable outlet nowhere. But even the
honestlv represented than they are to be central figures in a terrible
- i
now. It is for this main general awakening
conspicuously
purpose that Pryan
6tands. It Is this gospel that he per
Blstently and effectually preaches,
As led or dominated by Bryan,
the Democratic party stands now for
this general purpose and policy.
And this is not a mere frothing.
eddy-movement, trivial and lnconse
quentlal; on the contrary, on its ul
IiET THE PEOPLE RULE.
T
money exrjenilod nn th ! nH wnr.
thy project ha been eo Inadequate to
inn no iriai mucn or it might an well
have never been appropriated or in
vested. Imagine a man hiring a laborer
py ine aay to lift a thousand-pound
block of stona to the top of a building
iiaiiieieu Dy machinery or other
FHE JOURNAL Is not solicitous
about the success of any party
except as it appears probable I laborers.
that this or that nnrtv will
best serve the interests and rnntrl-N . a"." au ! engineering-
, . A " . l ucynnmeni or xne army ror accompllsh-
uuie 10 me wenare or me common '"if muon ti it na with the appropri
quenua.. on iu. i . u. ' , . " " " "w-T ation. given and the ri. rlctlonV upon
tlmate success or failure rests the PooP'o- inis is an mat maires in thm. Too often thay have been put in
destiny of democracy, of republican
ism, of a people's government In
this country.
favor of a party; it is all that Jus
tine government at all.
THE LOOT OF TnE FORESTS.
T
HE loot of the forests has been
the bane of the middle west
and east. It is fortunato for
Oregon that her forests have
not suffered more at the hands of
the despoller
Chief Justice Bean of the Oregon
supreme court, who was one of the
representatives of Oregon at the con
ventlon of governors at Washington,
brings home testimony In point. He
had doubted the propriety of forest
reserve policy until he went east and
there learned from experts that the
destruction of forests Is what has
brought on the "evils of spring
floods which spread devastation and
ruin through the valleys of the Ohio
and other streams of the east." There
was no effort to protect the young
growth or to encourage reforesta
tion, and as a consequence the hills
and mountains that formerly bore
heavy forests are now bare. "Down
the unprotected elopes the water
from the rapidly melting snow rushes
In torrents, overflowing river banks,
destroying farms and flooding cities."
The people there did not realize un
til too late what would be the con
sequences of the mad policy of waste
fulness. '
The Journal has often pointed out
that the same conditions await Ore-
the position of the laborer with the
(noueanci-pouna block of granite. So
far as their authnrltv riorrr.lt tnrf rrm
The Journal wlshns thn muRnoua of I have used luinronrifttlnrm viai' - w
neODle to hav nnrl seelrn tn ntd telle that in a good many cases they
peopie 10 nave ana seens to am have overstenDod iimnhni h .rr
tnera to gain DOin more power ana I oounanrit-s or their authority for the
more intelligence, and believes that ""un wort y 0 a
each Will develop the other. With But too often they have had to spend
power more directly resting on the Z" w?.b8ih.ro
many, the mass, they will feel more enough money to accomplish the pur-
responsibility and become more fit nd iP0ohye?l9y
to exercise power; and the more fit when each year would render the ex
they become to use power for their Pn?'u VSTi0,
j. .1 . . . . i: .. " i.. uuoiu navr
own gooa, ror ine gooa oi me many oeen expemiea in one year the Improve-
rather than of the few, the more
power they will take upon them
selves; the less they will leave to
representatives and other officials
who, as has been pretty well learned
by this time, are prone to betray
them.
The government must be to some
ortont ronrssflTifaHvA' thr Tnimr he I 000.000 a veer for a nerlod nt 10 rsara
public servants chosen to attend to So? nsZnTlT
the people" public business; but let tire field of the work to be accom
rh nonnln mnro nrl mm-A Ween the pllshd' h,,t that the engineers In charge
7 ..v. , K pendent road within the means, of
ice within their own grasp, more (K. ., . , . . t , ...
and more require faithful service to . . . .. . . ..
. .... aid to such an extent as to insure Its
building. Just what this road will
ment would have haen nrrmmant
Enough money has been expended on the
rivers to have accomplished something
though nut all that Is needed but in
stead of being concentrated and making
the work permanent as It progresses
It has ben so scattered that It has
largely boon wasted.
The new proposition is that appropri
ations should be large enough to amount
10 sometn:ng; mat they should be 150
should be allowed to spend It so as to
produce permanent results, witn a view
oventuallv of havlns- th whole work
accomplished In a workmanlike and n
r1iittm? inuniiar
The obstacles are, first, th lack of
appreciation by congress or these raeis
that should i) patent to any wieiu
H'
'B WHO has fully followed hi
ideals may have missed all other
prises in that pursuit, yet he
has found happiness and riches
that could have become his In
no other way. Her is the seoret of
gent mun, but which, of oourso, appeal satisfaction, her la high success In
most stronclv to the business man, and
second, the anxiety of congressmen to
plonse their constituents. This latter
influence is understandable and the
remedv should lie in public education.
Assumlngi for example that the Ar
kansas river enters into trie -general
any life, that one uhall have followad
fully his Ideals, shall hav kept th
best steadily before him.
Heavenly visions com to all. They
may not come with the rushing or
nKels wiuks. nor with straime and
mysterious signs and appearances. Per
haps some or the old time visions of
char-
e sup-
seem so
normal av-
bus should be content to eari; N.one poorer than who ha, n(,v-
nuai expenditure lor u nones ui vrnrs i !,, v,ih am.irotim.. ihn ku.
made elsewhere than on their tream. n ,fte(1 Mm b to ea th- ,0
There is the rub. They would not like 8t before Mm, After un the measur
It and would tell their congressmen so of any uf9 t9 the extent to which such
verv emnhatlcally : and. of course, the i.i. n r nr..a0.niti inn
congressmen would want to have loma tasks has entered Into the being and
nuniua i "uo i" men umuii.i vu I dominated ine ueeas.
iilnn for the Imnrovement of1 the Mis
sissippi river and Its tributaries, and
ftVV'fo rhfiTnvtl fni biln". "done .J 'ti ?
It) ilio f i iu.iiMo.r until iiiQ inniii v uuuiin i Arnntnrfll nn v hAnita (hav
of the Mississippi were improved; In much above the pla ne of the n
that case the people along the Arkan- eraa expeHence
please their constituents and promote
their .own reelection.
The people ought to be brought, by
honest methods In congress and by a
campaign of education, to understand
what should be done; to believe that this
whole matter will be handled in a bus!
ness way: that no real interest will be
neglected and that every real interest
will be taken care of and promoted in
the best manner. If the people along lihJ ii J. Vn ihiV. iii
certain nvor anew inai oy wamng ntv. nr ..rvi,. f ..r-rf-. Na
There is nothing like this to make a
man strong to endure, to mako him de
spise th paltry prizes that seem so at
tractive to eyes blind to the greater
glory. This Is the food that angels
envy, food that has sustained the soul
through long days in the deserts,
through weariness, toll, disappoint
ments, fears, ljorsaklngs, lpssus, and
loneliness. They are able to despise
the cross and to endure the shame who
have seen the glory set before every
?h
ve years they would get a permanent an or WOman ever attained anything
benefit but that if they demanded an wlthout this: nothing is Impossible to
Immediate expenditure of their rr thn.. Uri.Yi tfii. uv,f .nri k.,i
capita proportion they would get noth- this call
lng whatsoever except by the mere Livingstone, Lincoln, Oaribaldl, For
spending of the money among them, as enc9 Nightingale would have failed
sensible People they WOllld Withdraw wlthnnt th vlnlnn Tn fh nvinli nt
opposition and we believe insist on such wage or fame there would be no power
businesslike methods as those for which to bear thorn up. on the contrary their
we are contending. datly experiences were enough to turn
One of the strnnsreur arrumtntu them from the chosen path, but for the
against the proposed plan of river im- lofty confidence that they were doing
provement is its cost; but if the entire tne one work for them, but for the in
cost had to be met by bonds It would aplratlon of the Ideal before thehi.
be the best Investment that the national . And '!lla1 ""V man's religion, to
government has made in the last hun- follow his idenl, to seek to b the best
dred years, aqd the plea of economv I"a day nav. "8 k,nc:w,',,01 ao, 'J1,9
does not come with good grace from a highest duty that any lofty desire Indl-
congress which appropriated notwlth- ?at?s' to tBke ,h Path that leads up
standing the cry of economy the funds n lov"t and ,,se,rvlcei,an1 p.,,T,t.-of ,Llv:
them, more and more remember that
"eternal vigllence is the price of
liberty."
The most powerful man In public
life today is Joseph G. Cannon, and
who would lnformedly and candidly
say that he uses his power in the In
terest and for the advantage of the
people? There is needed in that
position of great power a man of
great ability, broad-minded, pro
gressive, who has no other thought
do for one region other roads would
do for other regions. The farmers
and business men of each locality
where such an enterprise is practi
cable should bestir themselves and
proceed to help themselves. The
sooner "they make .themselves Inde
pendent In transportation ways the
sooner the Lord will be on their
side.
Similar projects could doubtless
gon unless there be a husbanding of concerning his public duties but the L carr,ed Qnt ago ,Q 0re
the forests. Overflowed rivers In new. eervicB vi me i
the spring and dry river beds in the PePle- w,h&t an Indictment ot the
summer will be the price of any
policy of waste. It can all be avoid
ed by a policy of conservation. Tim
ber growth is faster in Oregon than
In almost any other state, and re
forestation proportionately - easier.
Reasonable care, in prptecting tim
ber against fire, the unnecessary de
struction of young growth in logging
operations, and maintenance of a
wise policy of forest reserve, is an
easy means of preserving our inval
uable timber, and a sure way to
make Oregon, 'as Justice Bean says,
one of the wealthiest states In the
union. If public sentiment will crys
tallze along these llnee, and Insist
upon this policy, the loss of the for
ests will be prevented, and an Im
portant factor In the trtate's future
be preserved, to the benefit of gen
erations of mankind.
THE OREGON STATE GRAXGE.
T
HE Oregon state grange has
done many good things. It has
earned many commendations.
It adds to the list in its an
nounced purpose to break a legal
lance with tb Pacific States Tele
phone company In the corporation's
effort to overthrow direct legisla
tion In Oregon. The grange has set
aside $500 from Its general fund,
and will by subscription add enough
to mako an aggregate of $ 1 ,5 00 for
hlrlDg special counsel to fight the
telephone people to the bitter end.
I'nder the Initiative, the grange se
cured passage of the law taxing tele
phone franchises, and the Pacific
States taxes under the law was
$9,00. The corporation resisted
payment, and has gone Into the fed
eral courts to destroy the law, and
If possible to break down the Oregon
initiative. Its hope Is to Invoke con
stitutional or
representative system and of party
Ism the spectacle of such- a man as
Cannon In such an office Is!
The Journal would diffuse power
among the people, the common
mass, to the utmost practicable ex
tent, believing that even If they
made mistakes they would not mis
use power to their own hurt so much
as party leaders, misrepresentatives
and private-snap officials have done.
That Is to say,' The Journal believes
In a democracy, an Increasingly in
telligent, capable, progressive and
enlightened democracy.
If we are to admit and believe,
with a local contemporary, that the
people are not fit for self-government,
are a "mob," a "rabble,"
"groundlings," "geese," "frogs,"
Idiots and lunatics, and must remain
so, then let us move to abandon a
republican form of government en
tirely, for which we are totally un
fit, and call for a despotism. But
If we are to have a despotism, let
it be one of brain and blood, rather
than one of vulgar wealth.
gon, so as to reach the Willamette
river or a trunk railroad. Electric
roads run out In several directions
from Forest Grove, for instance,
would work an amazing development
and increase ot production and real
values In that region, so finely
adapted either to dairying or fruit
raising. And the same could be
done In other towns and localities.
The well to do farmers and other
property owners of the interior re
gions where such projects are pos
sible should not wait forever for out
side capitalists to come In and build
roads for them. Why not make a
beginning themselves? Capitalists
and railroad builders would soon
sit up and take notice. The people
of Oregon, and of the Oregon coun
try, should do more flying with their
own wings. They have stronger and
broader wings than they know. The
trouble is, they fear to use them,
or have not learned how. Self-reliance
is a great virtue. We should
keep a-goln'.
io erect postorrice bu ldlngs In towns . , i. V i. " "".
of 6,000 people of with a total annual move; up into Its Tilgher self and so
revenue of only $10,000, and some of ever find's new heights before It
whose members openly stated on the Th(a rfat action for-every man In
floor of the house that they demanded ,Kin, J8',Jiot, tn Z"
these nhsiirrl innrnnriaMnn. t will obey the 10 commandments, not
-?-:!:--' " '"-""ISO
i iiioir vuiimi tuciiis,
A Poem f or .Today
Emancipation.
Bv Maltble n riahcocfc
fThe Rev. Maltble Davannnrt llalixiKV
the brilliant Presbyterian clergyman of
New York city, whose splendid career
was cut short while he was yet a young
man by his death in 1901, was as well
m
dictate of church or preacher, but
whether he will be obedient to the
Inner vision, of the voice from heaven
that speaks In his own heart and bids
hlrn forsake his dull ways of self-content
and rise to higher living, to sac
rificial service.
That vision calls up to paths of pain.
that vision. If you but heed and seek
to obey, makes tremendous demands
of you. It la not the easy, heed-
less following of an emotional, ro
mantic love for .glory; it is the thorny
known for hV inlrnr;'. m . Path f tho cr- Tho ' burden
wr?tTr?r nnri lu Jl!f 0 reJ"1'',!s bearing; it is po hard rts to be heroic.
rll "v,Taind hlS short poemB " for hls The thing that Is eating like a can-
T
O Tes, doubtless some things the
Denver convention did or refused to
do were somewhat "humorous," as
the morning paper says, but- Its hu
morous phases were dull, tame and
HE FARMERS and business nolntless in comparison with those
men of Walla Walla county, 0f the Chicago convention, that de
according to a recent news dis- flared for a lot of things that the
A WALLA WALI,A-WALH'LA
RAILROAD.
Why be afraid of death.
As though your life were.breathT
Ieath but anoints your eyes
"With clay O glad surprise!
"Why should you be forlorn?
Death only husks the corn;
Why should you fear to meet
The Thrasher of the wheat?
Is sleep a thing to dread?
Yet sleeping you are dead
Till you awake and rise
Here or beyond the skies.
Why should It be a wrench
To leave your wooden bench?
Why with happy shout
Run home when school Is out?
The dear ones left behind
O, foolish one, and blind I
A day, and you will meet;
A night, and you will greet
This is the death of Death
To breathe away a breath.
And know the end of strife.
And taste the endless life.
And Joy without a fear.
And smile without a tear.
And work nor care to rest.
And find the last the best.
Running Sliota
(Written for the Journal by Fred. C.
Denton.)
Denver and Chicago namnrl irnrwl man
In whom the American npnnln hnva
confidence. It is not going to be a
mud and "bloody shirt" campaign.
g
our power, and stealing of possibilities
Is our love of enso, our hatred of the
things that are hard; we refuse to obey
the hestyenly vision because o-do so
would he to endure hardnsj, to for
sake our soft and pleasant ways. 8o
seeking ease we lose life
Our days are filled with a dull dis
content, not because we do not possess
tne things or tnis lire, out because ve
have missed its greatest prise, the 1oV
of following growing Ideals. There la
nomine we need to cherish more, to
guard more closely than this, the visions
that stir to greatness, the passion for
perferttonr the hope of high living and
serving.
patch, are planning to build a
railroad between Walla Walla and
Wallula, on the Columbia river, by
next spring. The farmers are tak
ing the lead. They have a coopera
tive union up there, at a recent meet
ing of which plans for this project
were adopted. It is proposed that
after the harvest and fall seeding are
over, several hundred farmers shall
turn to this Job with their teams and
grade the line. Right of way and a
franchise have already been secured.
Republican party has for years stub
bornly, persistently and scornfully
rejected, and that while yielding to
Roosevelt's Dig Stick In the matter
of a candidate, overwhelmingly and
contemptuously voted down several
of the more important "Rooeevelt
policies." The motto of that con
vention must have been, "Motley'i
the only wear."
What is "the earnest and settled
For years there has been Intermit
tent talk of an emergency hospital.
Many farmers up there are wealthy, (and between these talking spells, for
al technicalities for j and with other moderate capitalists ! long intervals, the subject seems to
THE O. R. & X. Sl RI'Ll S
TAX.
know
THE JOURNAL does not
whether the O. R. X
I pny Is or will be obliged to
Max,ui tax leviea on certain
large eorplu earnings or not, nor
whether the company is legally lla
" ble therefor or not. This is a mat
' ier for the courts to decide. Bat
The Journal' doe know that In
eoKy. In Justice, as a matter of
fair play, the people of this county
and of other countiei of Oregon, too.
caught to fcft back In taxea. if they
ra get It bo other way, a pertnt
f of the Mi annual surplus made
ia Oregon y that coinrT-
A rrrort etaies that a part of the
vrriry" t!a afaJnat the payment
c f t; : tax 1 tut larjre part cf
purpose of the American people" to
which Bryan is hostile? High pro
tection" Government by the trusts'
Power In the bands of the railroads
and other corporations? Preda
tory plutocracy in control? The
rrassrs relegated more and more to
ty-r. rrlP of "dumb, driven cattle"?
Government maintained and oper
ated for the 1 nc fit of the few at
the expense of the many? If this
be "the earnest and settled purpose
com-1 of the American people," then cer
tainly Bryan does not represent their
thought and desire.
And here rec irg the old reaction
ary. stand;at Jargon "untried
ideas." "vjrn longings." "chi
meras," and so on, used whenever
an; thing 1 proposed for the bene
fit of the manse and their increased
poiter. They "don't know what
they want," therefore should leave
It to the trust magnates to tell
tbem. They "doat know how to get
It": therefore they thonld turn the
job over to the machine politicians.
It U the old. old theory by which
the poplo bare. Veen fooled through
all tUtory yon are not capable to
evasion of payment of Just taxes. It j can supply the necessary funds. This
in a manifestation of that principle In road would
occupy the routo tra-
whirh lntcrrpts have enjoyed im-. versed by the old Baker railroad,
miinity from Just taxation so long f"the first one built in that region, and
that they think It ought to be per-(which helped to make its builder
petuated. It Is notorious that the I and owner very wealthy.
have been forgotten. It takes some
thing more than talk to get such an
establishment, and that needed
"more" ought to be provided with
no great delay. It is literally shame
ful that a city of Portland's slie
small property owners, and holders
of lands and visible property bear the
principal burden of taxation. It Is
equally notorious that syndicated j
and franchise created wealth sue-1
ressfully dodges nearly all taxes. No-'
end wealth is yet without such a
necessary institution. Whatever
This seems like an entirely feasi
ble and thoroughly worthy enter
prise. This strip of railroad would : Bteps are necensary to take to pro-
bring Walla Walla and all its rich , vide it should be taken at the ear
immediately surrounding country ; liest opportunity.
into direct, close connection with the
body denies it; everybody confesses j Columbia river and the boats of the
It. When, however, here in Oregon, , Open River asFoclation that are to
through the initiative, a way was bo put thereon. The farmers could
found to enact the franchise tax law own and operate this road and prae-
which the legislature had refused to
pass, and when lta provisions became
operative for forcing the telephone
corporation to pay Just taxes as other
people are compelled to do, the fury
of the company Is let loose on the
initiative, on the salutary laws en
acted' under It, and federal courts
and trust lawyers are Invoked to kill
the people's system.
The very fact that If Is evasion of
taxes that Is sought, and that the
corporation seeks t by' destruction
of the Initiative Is a significant ex
ample of bow and why corporations
tically fix their own freight rates.
At least they would get the benefit
of water transportation for their
products from Wallula to the sea.
So would merchants and their cus
tomers for merchandise. The road
ceuld scarcely fall to do a large
business, and to be a paying Invest
ment at low freight rate. It would
save and make for the people up
there millions, eventually.
What It is proposed to do here
should be done elsewhere, wherever
a productive regVon can be con
nected with the rirer by aa Inde
r V -
The railroads, It is reported, have
decided to appeal the lumber freight
cases recently decided by the Inter
ttiio tvmmeree commission. This
is all right, provided the rates fixed
bv the commission remain in force
; in the interim. TCe law 11101 an
' 1 Km tinHT m rflTIft CJk Tl ltnOW
ItLfTBI, IS1 I - - - - "
better than the commission what the
rates ought to be Las never been explained.
Manchester. England, has an artifi
cial ship canal over hill and dnle for
80 miles which maintains her commer
cial prosperity. Portland needs only
1 to keep n cnannei open along the great
est or rivers to r?corae the
port on the Pacific.
Whether one arrees with Tom
Watson or not and most men
wont, altogether be Is to be re
spected for bis candor and outspeak
ing. He is ao eqnivocator or com
promiser, but says what be rnean,
whomsoever It may displease; '
In many parts of Oregrm people are
very 'sore' on the local land monopo
list. One of the lareest in southwest
ern Oregon recently said that he was
the worst hated man In that section.
He further remarked that If same
method was not devised tp compel the
use of Idle land thar thn rjconlp would
take it all away by pure confiscation,
and that they would be justified in
so doing. From some landless Socialist
this would be treason and anarchy, but
when delivered before a commercial
body by an experienced and successful
land-grabber It caused thinking men
to think more.
The people of Coos Bay want some
body to build them a railroad to east
ern Oregon and southern ldnho. The
people of the upper Snake river coun
try and eastern Oregon want somebody
to build them a road to Coos Bay.
These two sections are going to get to
gether and talk things over next month.
Out of such a talkfest may come some
practical Ideas, but both sections should
remember that 'Qod helps those who
help themselves.''
Borne of the Coos Bay people seem
to have It In for Congressman Haw
ley because that gentleman Is working
to establish free locks at Oregon City
He should not he blamed for trying
to tree ine v niamette valley. Con
gress can build locks and pull snagi
out of rivers, build Jetties and tHke
Junketing trips, but It cannot bulM
railroads. W hen 11 nets around to
actually building railroads such sec
tions as Coon llav will Ions before
hsve been hooked up to civilization.
Portland capital should be eoual to
building a railroad to THInmook. and
irom there it might meander down
the coast Indefinitely.
greatest
Any man moving among the people of
Oregon Is struck by the confidence they
hsve in themselves to keep the political
machines out of business. There Is no
use crvlng over sptlt political milk, and
some hungry Hps are solns to be ti.rn
loose from public feats they long have
ciunit arouna. 1 re common riwxen or
Oregon has rot yet spit on his hands
to hit established graft a lick; he has
only tapped in the Wedgs of the initia
tive. It la sad to witness th Impotent
rage of ye old-time machine politician.
It Is recognized that men behind the
plow, the as and the workbench
r m, and sven the prortsMonaj ana
business men are reading up on pub
lic questions, economics. statecraft,
arty history and principles and are
llspnsd to set on their Independent
convictions The tnu-hln politician
may succeed la getting th oid-fssh-twrea
conventions t going again, but
Ihrr-vlll rut fee ! la deliver-the
yoodS as of yore I
Sentence Sermons.
Bv Henrv F. Cone.
Self-mastery is half of all morality.
Life without difficulties Is but death.
It takes a tender heart to do the really
hard things.
The desired haven Is not reached by
sailing before the wind.
No man becomes a hero by dreamln
of knights and ladles.
There are no bargain ssles at which
character can be purchased.
Many are willing to be soundly pious
so long as piety Is all sound.
No man has said Amen to his prayers
until he gets busy answering them.
at
He who never said a harsh word of
any one failed In his duty to every one.
The problems of any day are the indi
cations of the keenness of its conscience.
Bad times often come as a result of
too much living for good times only.
Cynicism is the atrophy that comes
from refusing to realize our own Ideals.
The needv ca,n better afford to miss
your gifts than you can afford to miss
the giving.
It is a good thing to belters in others;
It paves you from believing too much
in yourself.
It Is hard to see In what way an Im
puted rlghteoueness Is better than a
borrowed reputation. -
If the man who boasts of always say
ing what he thinks wars honest ha
would say mighty little.
There's a lot of difference betwssu
serving one of these little ones and
kowtowing to one of our great ones.
He who enly prays. "Olre si our
dally bread -with some butter, too,"
doen not pray at all and he dies of hun-
ger.
No man is of much use In this world
until he has found something more at
tractive than his personal happiness.
a a
It Is a good deal easier to shut out
the sights of the world s needy than It
Is to evade'your answerability for them.
Rome think they must be In the beat-t
en way to beaveu because thsy seem to
be so successful In beating their way
there.
It makes a lot of difference whether
you think of religion aa a system of
medicine or as the simple life of full
moral health.
It has always been evident that It
was easier to talk about saving smils
than it was to serve for the salvation
of society.
Tills Date In History.
llT4Willlam, ths I.ion, defeated at
AJnwIck
15 Erasmus died at Basel.
1712 Richard Cromwell died. Born
October 4, J2
1704 Alexander Hamilton. American
statesman, died. Bora in .Nevis. W. 1.
January 11. 17(7.
1M Pweden concluded an alliance
with England.
114 Willtsm Osier, physician and
author, born at Tecum sh, Ont.
U7ft Admiral J. A. Dab If ran died.
Bom November IS. JI0.
1V02 The Porte demanded ths sup
pression of Cretan money with Prince
Uoorre's efflsy.
Ives- Drvvfus finally Vindicated hy
the Court of Cassation.