'.4
THE OREGON DAILY JOURNAL, PORTLAND, SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY ; 20, 1915.
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"S3
..It la our relation to- circumstances"-
that determines their
: Influence over us. The same
wind that carries one vessel
Into port may blow another off
shore. Bovee.
U"
DEFYING THIS PEOPLE
TrHE people indorsed the work
I men's compensation principle
i I as embodied in the Schuebel
amendments by a majority of
; more than 4 0,000.
' , ,The measure carried every coun
ty in . Oregon. The election re-
' turns constitute a vote of instruc-
. tions to the legislature.
.The House has followed the peo
ple's mandate by its overwhelming
approval in the passage of the
"Schuebel amendments. Every mem
ber among the fifty-five who voted
for those amendments is in har
mony with the will of the elector
ate as expressed at. the polls.
i The Senate majority is taking a
different course. It is defying the
election returns. It is defying the
people.
Failing in its purpose to restore
the casualty companies to power by
direct legislation, it is proposing to
: do so by indirect legislation. It
f proposes to throw the commission
into unbalance and into politics by
f whictr dissatisfaction and disa
, greeinent will result, and the casu
alty cabal- find its opportunity to
get back to power and profit.
AN OREGON BILL
4THERE is not. a reason in the i
1 world for the failure of the
house at Washington ta pass
the Chamberlain bill for ex
change of scattered school sections
In the Santiam national forest for
other sections of similar lands in a
body near Detroit, Oregon.
Scattered as they are, the school
sections are of no value or use. The
mature timber on them is deteri
orating. If so exchanged that they
would be grouped in a body acces-
Bible to the railroad, as was pro
posed in the Chamberlain bill, they
would become a valuable asset ta
the state school of forestry.
The body would have been a
work shop for forestry students,
who would have been given practl
car training in the field. There
would have been revenue from the
use of the mature timber in the
further development of the fores
try school.
The elimination of the bill from
the "unanimous consent" calen
dar was at the instance of a con
gressman from Wisconsin, a state
in which timber barons flourished
with unbridled freedom as long as
the forests lasted.
The Chamberlain bill was
planned by Governor West, and
was meritorious from every view
point. It passed the senate with
little opposition. The opposition
to It Is without a single argument
"on which to stand.
1 The wonder is that with such a
cause, the house members from
Oregon should have failed to get
the bill to a favorable vote. Its
present displacement on the calen
dar should be the occasion for re
newed effort and a final enactment
of the measure into law.
IN NEW YORK, TOO
a N ATTEMPT to emasculate
fm workmen's insurance law
f - in the New York legislature
has called forth a rebuke
Xrom the Evening Post, which says:
"It must be made plain to gov
ernor and legislature alike that if
there is one issue on which public
Opinion will not endure the sus
picion of political manipulation it
ts In this workmen's Insurance law,
attained after so much effort and
carrying with it the hopes of a
great social betterment."
An amendment fathered by R.3
publican leaders to the effect that
all .. agreements for compensation
arranged between employer and
employe should be valid without
the virtual sanction of the com
pensation commission, furnished
the text for the rebuke.
The proposed amendment bringB
up the entire question whether em
ployes in the mass may be counted
upon to defend their interests
against unscrupulous employers. It
strikes at the very heart of the
law. 5
Oregon, it appears, is not the
only state where efforts, are being
made in behalf of special interests.
( . a
' THE COMMERCIAL THEATRE
s
EVERAL theatrical managers
who have gone into bank
ruptcy have assigned as the
reason the growth of the
HmOYfng picture entertainment.
I One reason why the commercial
j theatre is failing Is the greed of
f managers. Companies are sent out
on . the road at the same prices
charged In New York. Fnrther
: more ; these companies - are often
' parodies of the original ' cast. As
a result the people of the smaller
towns hare "become wise" and
have turned to the moving picture
which ; is not only cheaper but is
more reliable and gives better
value for the money. Hard times
are not the real reason, neither is
their any depreciation of popular
taste.
The commercial theatre has
failed to develop the native drama.
It has failed to keep pace with the
march of improvement in me
chanical and lighting effects. It
has failed to develop actors and
actresses. It has failed to, encour
age the serious work of serious au
thors. It has failed to keep the
confidence of the public. It has
paid more attention to the box of
fice than the stage.
THE SANE HOUSE
THE poise of the House at
Salem was shown again In its
--resolution providing for the
governor to appoint a com
mission to work out a properly ad
justed plan for consolidation of
boards and commissions.
This legislature is considering
more than 700 bills in 40 days.
There is not a member of either
house but has worked to the limit
of his endeavor throughout the ses
sion in attendance on proceedings
and on committee hearings. It is
doubtful it. there is a member who
has read all the bills that have
been introduced. To do so and at
tend to other duties was well nigh
a physical impossibility.
That is why the House action in
proposing a commission to recom
mend a consolidation program two
years hence is sound judgment.
No hall baked legislation ought to
be passed. No consolidations ought
to be made on the mere fancy or
preconceived prejudices or notions
of some member with an ax to
grind. No steps ought to be hastily
taken that will hamper existing in
stitutions and activities.
There may be commissions that
ought to be abolished. Possibly
others should be combined. But,
when it is done It should not be
done at the expense of efficiency.
Nor oh a false economy.
Some of the proposals in Sena
tor Day'B personal program of con
solidation are neither economical
nor in th interest of efficiency.
His proposal, for instance, to ab
sorb the board of Higher Curricula
In some other board would be a
crime. To destroy it and its work
in the name of economy when it
cost but $139 last year would be
grotesque were it not a tragedy.
The action of the House in pro
posing a commission to report two
years hence is in line with the
governor's recommendation, and is
an intelligent plan of procedure.
MORE GERMAN NEWS
SOME of the most interesting
war news that has been pub
lished is that derived by The
Journal from private letters
which local Germans have received
from the fatherland.
Scraps of information gleaned
from these sources throw a light
on conditions not obtainable
through professional news sources.
Wrhat is more, the conditions de
scribed are the statements from
relative to relative or from friend
to friend, and they are a truthful
reflection of things as they are
seen by the writers, and made with
out intent to deceive.
This is the kind of news The
Journal desires to print. It wants
its daily narrative of news to be a
flowing story of things as they
happened, told without prejudice,
without bias and with all the facts
faithfully recounted.
The usual news channels to Ger
many have been choked ever since
the war began. Wireless dispatches,
necessarily meager, and other news
by mail and from round about
sources have presented a wholly
inadequate story from the German
viewpoint, while on the other hand
the wires and cables to the camps
of the allies have been always in
action, with happenings narrated
in voluminous detail.
To further strengthen its news
from German sources. The Journal
Is arranging for translations of
news matter from German news
papers, a feature that, while it will
be late In presentation, will
strengthen the volume and char
acter of this new means of pre
senting both sides in the great
conflict.
These -added features should be
as interesting to those who sym
pathize with the allies as to Ger
man sympathizers, because of the
informative phase that they will
present.
WHY NOT APOLOGIZE?
A WASHINGTON dispatch says
an effort may be made to
amend the Colombian treaty
to meet objections in the
Senate. Elimination from the
treaty of the expression of regret
that anything should have been
done by the United States to mar
friendly relations between the two
countries has been suggested.
If the United States did wrong
In depriving Colombia of Panama,
why not apologize as well as pay
for the injury done? Is this coun
try such a bigot that it thinks it
can make black white or wrong
right? An apology usually means
something it means that the act
apologized for will not be repeated
That is why the United States
should frankly admit its injury to
Colombia and give assurance that
nothing like It will happen again
The nation's honor is at -stake
in this matter. In an American
court of 'equity a similar dispute
between individuals would be de
termined in 'favor of Colombia's
contention. This country broke
its guarantee of Colombia's sover
eign rights over the isthmus, and
did so in violation of an existing
treaty. The United States stands
accused and convicted of having
used its strength against a weak
nation to deprive that nation of
its sovereignty.
It is said that Colombia attempt
ed to "hold up" this country. The
fact is that the United States
fixed practically its own price on
the canal zone and then demanded
that Colombia's senate ratify the
transaction without change. The
hold-up was disclosed when our
minister to Colombia served an ul
timatum on that country, before its
senate met that no modification
of our terms would be permitted.
It is true that the terms offered
were in line with propositions pre
sented by Colombia, but the fact
is that the United States' began
violating Colombian sovereignty
when it began attempting to coerce
the Colombian senate. What fol-.
lowed later with respect to Panama !
came as a natural consequence of j
"strong-arm" methods.
ABOLISHING BLUE SKY
THE Senate voted to repeal tne
Blue Sky law. It also pro
poses placing the department
of corporations under the in
surance commissioner.
One of the most effective and
wholesome laws ever enacted in
Oregon is the Blue Sky law, writ
ten into the statutes at the 1913
sesaion. One of the most efficient
administrations of a law in the his
tory of Oregon has been Commis
sioner Watcon's administration of
the Blue Sky law.
Commissioner Watson has be-
comfi nationally known and has
been nationally commended for the
intelligence, discvrtlon and honesty
of his aDDlication of the Blue Sky
law in Oregon. Only last week, he
secured the vindication of the law
in the federal court of appeals at
San Francisco. Not many weeks
ago, he secured for it a similar de
cision in the federal courts at Port
land.
One of the conspicuous struggles
that he has had with bogus busi
ness was his resistence to the pro
gram of George R. Stillings, presi
dent of the National Mercantile
Company of Vancouver, British Co
lumbia. Stillings' scheme was
driven out of Missouri by the at
torney general or tnat state, mil
lings went to Massachusetts and
undertook to operate a scheme
there.
In his ' Massachusetts operation,
Stillings collected from the people
of the United States more than
$800,000. For this he was sent to
jail, and served two years.
From Massachusetts, Stillings
went to Vancouver, British Colum
bia, and organized the scheme
whifh ho was workine In Oregon
until Commissioner Watson, after
a hard struggle, drove his agents
from the state. As a result of
Watson's exposures of the Stillings
scheme, Stillings Is now under in
dictment in Seattle by the federal
grand jury for maintaining a lot
tery. In fourteen months of adminis
tration of the Blue Sky law, Com
missioner Watson drove out of
Oregon $59,000,000 of doubtful
and bogus securities that were be
ing sold to Oregon people.
THE AMERICAN KEN
NEW YORK has been holding
the largest chicken show ever
held in this country. Ex
hibits came from 2 6 states
and two provinces of Canada. The
American hen has had full posses
sion of Madison Square Garden,
and her importance, loudly pro
claimed by the American rooster",
has been acknowledged in the na
tion's metropolis.
Why not? It is about time that
gay New York give a little thought
to where its omelettes come from.
There have been horse shows, dog
shows and cat shows on Manhattan
island, many of them in Madison
Square Garden, but never before
has the American hen been given
her proper place In society. Now
she has made her debut under
proper auspices, and it is presumed,
that she will have entree into the
most exclusive New York homes.
The country knows all about the
hen's virtues. It knows she is
greatest of all barnyard fowls. It
knows that when given a chance
she will always make good with
eggs. It knows that without her,
breakfast would be a sorry meal
and dinner shorn of many adorn
ments. New York should cultivate the
hen's acquaintance. The metropolis
should give over the pursuit of
"chickens" and note the hen's re
markable qualities, which are be
coming known and more appre
ciated wherever there is a home
needing a supplemental bread
winner.
RAILWAYS AN1 PATRONS
IN 1913 and 1914 there- were
119 indictments of railroads
and their patrons for violations
of the interstate commerce law
and the Elkins act. Forty-one per
cent of these indictments were
against railroads, and 69 per cent
against patrons. There were 119
successful prosecutions, 35 per cent
affecting the railroads and 65 per
cent patrons of railroads.
These figures are used by the
Railway Age Gazette to prove that
the common carriers .are now obey
ing the laws much better than the
people who travel and ship - goods
over their lines. It is urged that
the standard of morality In the
railway business "is higher than in
other lines of commercial and in
dustrial enterprise in the United
States, and the statistics cited sup
port this contention."
The railroads are to be congrat
ulated on their small number of
convictions, but in doing so it is
not necessary to juggle figures.
Patrons of railroads outnumber
railroads by more than 100,000 to
one, and when comparison is made
to determine relative morality that
fact must be taken into account.
But the Gazette is right in say
ing that regulation of railways,
especially that which has been done
by the Interstate commerce com
mission, has tended powerfully to
raise and maintain the standard of
morals in the railway business. It
is also- right when it says the com
mission has served an excellent
purpose in compelling patrons to
quit trying to defraud the railways.
MORGANISM IN ITS
PRESENT INCARNATION
From the Philadelphia North American.
THOSE who have followed atten
tively the proceedings of the fed
eral commission on Industrial re
lations must have observed that this
exceptionally Important inquiry is
unique in character. The commission
Is empowered to examine Into .the re
lations between capital and labor in
order "to discover the underlying
causes of industrial dissatisfaction";
and also "to get behind the facts,
find the explanation for their exist
ence and establish their relation to
industrial unrest." The procedure
has none of the nature of an inquisi
tion; no one is on trial, nor Is the
testimony preliminary to prosecution.
On the contrary, the witnesses are en
couraged, as a public service, to give
the freest expression to their opin
ions and convictions, to offer their
best counsel upon the vital questions
of social and industrial 'maladjust
ment. We have already discussed the tes
timony of John D. Rockefeller Jr.
Second In importance only to him
among the witnesses has been j.
Pierpont Morgan Jr. The mere weight
of the Rockefeller and Morgan mil
lions makes these two young men
the most potential living factors in
the problems under Investigation.
But they are not mere millionaires.
They are the chief representatives of
a system which has rooted itself In
the nation's affairs and which influ
ences in some degree the life of every
American citizen. They are the ad
ministrants of a great trust, which
lays upon them tremendous public
responsibilities. They have several
common characteristics. Both were
Lorn the sons of very rich men, but
both escaped the deadly fate of being
pampered, and had too much sense
to Indulge In the foolish or disgrace
ful escapades which many gilded
youths pursue. Both are men of the
highest personal integrity, serious
minded, able and industrious. And
both possess to a notable degree the
tolerant good will of the publio.
To those who built the towering
fortunes the attitude of the publio
has been expressed In the question:
"How did you get it?" To those who
Inherit, th query Is rather: "How
are you going to use It? Because of
this attitude of the publio, the views
of the two young millionaires were
awaited with great Interest. There
was, we think, a general desire that
they should exhibit traits of under
standing and signs of Intention that
would promise' their powerful aid In
solving the perplexing industrial ques
tions of th, day. There was the more
reason to expect this result because
they had abundant opportunity to
prepare their statements of " policy.
It Is only fair to regard their testi
mony as representing their matured
judgment of the affairs about which
they were questioned.
We have already expressed our dis
appointment at the conspicuous fail
ure of young Rockefeller to show a
worthy appreciation of his responsi
bilities or an Intelligent conception of
the obligation that rests upon him.
But the showing made by Mr. Morgan
is infinitely more depressing. We
do not recall any publio appearance
by a man of distinction In the busi
ness world wherein Ignorance upon
vital matters and callous Indifference
to them were eo prominently dis
played. He testified "nonchalantly,
with an engaging laugh," says a
friendly report that he knew noth
ing whatever, and had formed no
opinions, about the causes of indus
trial unrest, about labor unions, so
ciology, the rights of workers, ' the
proper length of working hours, rea
sonable wages, the employment of
children, the relations of capital and
labor, or the conditions under which
the tens of thousands of employes
of his corporations work and live.
His attitude toward the dommisslon
and its Inquiry was not In the least
defiant, or even impatient. His an
swers were terse, but delivered bland
ly and with transparent honesty. His
only emotion, It seemed, was a sort
of whimsical bewilderment that such
questions should be put to him, a di
rector, whose duty, as 'he explained,
was confined to examining balance
sheets.
Let us quote some illuminating
questions and answers:
"How far do you think stockhold
ers are responsible for labor condi
tions T'
"They have no responsibility."
"And directors?" "None at all."
"Who are responsible?" "The execu
tives. Labor conditions don't ehange
like financial conditions. We receive
frequent financial reports, but virtual
ly no reports on labor."
"How many employes has the In-
tejftationat Mercantile Marine?" "1
haven't an idea,"
"The Northern Pacifier' "I don't
know." ' -
"United States Steel?" "I believe !
about 170,000." j
"The Pullman Company?" "I don't I
know." j
"Are the executives required to i
make reports about the sanitary or j
living conditions under which the
men work?" "Such things do not !
come In the balance sheets."
"What do you think the length of
a working day should be?" "I haven't
an opinion."
"What do you think should be the
yearly Income of an unskilled work
man?" "There, again, I haven't an
opinion."
"Do you think $10 a week is suf
ficient wage for a longshoreman?"
"If that's all he can get, and he takes
it, I should say that it Is enough."
"At what age should a child be al
lowed to go to work?" "I haven't
any opinion about that. Nominally,
1 should say the later the better."
"Do you believe that the wealth of
this country is equitably distributed?"
"That's too big a question for me." "
"If It is true that the great pro
portion of our people do not get
enough and that others get too much,
what would you say, if you hava
observed this condition?" "I haven't
observed it."
"What, in your opinion, is the cause
of poverty V "I haven't an opinion."
"Do you believe In collective bar
gaining?" "I haven't studied it.
Just what is collective bargaining?"
"What tonnage is carried yearly
by the Northern Pacific?" "I don't
know. I remember the dollars, but
not the tonnage."
"You say you believe in organiza
tion. Why should not the steel or
ganization deal with the labor or
ganization?" "The union has no right
to tell the corporation whom it shall
employ. The men don't have to work
there. If they are dissatisfied, they
can leave. That la every (man's
right."
There is very striking similarity
between the testimony of Mr. Rocke
feller - and that of Mr. Morgan.
Neither of them knew what"" collect
ive bargaining Is, although they un
derstand collective finance and col
lective production. Neither had re
ceived labor reports from his com
panies, nor could tell how many men
were employed; neither had ever con
sidered the proper length of a work
ing day, nor the standard of a living
wage. There was one sharp differ
ence, however. Mr. Rockefeller, while
showing no grasp of his responsibili
ties, did show a desire to . be en
lightened, a sort of Instinctive feel
ing that he ought to know. Mr. Mor
gan, on the contrary, exhibited not
only Ignorance, but complete indif
ference. No doubt Mr. Morgan feels re
lieved that he is well out of an an
noying and time-wasting experience:
He does not realize how regrettable,
how deplorable, must be the effect
of his self-revelation. Many working
men will find in his testimony con
firmation of their belief that capital
is a soulless thing, whose only pur
pose Is to coin flesh and blood Into
dividends; and they will become more
unresponsive, more determined and
bitter in their hostility toward it.
Other citizens, who had hoped that
Mr. Morgan would contribute some
thing of value to the discussion, or
would at least show that he had
given thought to the problems, will
read his words with heavy hearts.
And iJesides these deeply Interested
classes, there in the great mass of
the people. Pleas for "more freedom
for business" will fall upon deaf
ears, so long as men who control
those affairs avow that they do not
know, and do riot care, how much
of evil and Injustice there Is In the
system from which they draw their
wealth and power.
Letters From the People
publication in this department should be writ
ten on only One side of the paper, should not
exceed 300 words in length and must be ac
companied . by the name and addrass of the
tender. If the writer does not desire to ba
the same pubUshed. he ahould ao state.)
"Discussion is the greatest of all reformers.
It rationalises everything it touches. It robs
principles of all talae sanctity and throws tbem
back on their reanonableues". If they hare
no reasonableness. It ruthlessly crushes them
out of existence and sets up Hs own conclusion
It their stead." Woodrow Wilson.
Reply to Critic of Fatherland.
Hillsbord, Or., Feb. 16. To the Edi
tor of The Journal The editor of the
Oregonlan contends that he maintains
an unassailable attitude of unbiased
neutrality, while his articles in behalf
of Great Britain unmistakably show
that he la nothing but England's man
Friday, the faithful echo of Messrs.
Lloyd-George, Churchill, Grey et al.
Nothing could possibly surpass the
obsequious servility of his memorable
article of November 24. entitled, "Force
to Maintain Peace," in which he stated
that "there are outlaws among the
nations as there are among men," and
that there are also peaceful, lawablding
nations, whose duty and prerogative
It is to frustrate by force of arras the
evil .machinations of the outlaw na
tions. Since her transcendent good
ness entitles her to it, the Oregortian's
editor assigns to England this enviable
role of world policeman. His vilifica
tion of Germany has been as persistent
as his championship of England, and
since he Is not amenable to reason and
pachydermatously impervious to argu
ment, it may not be inopportune to
expose the monumental aslninity of
his attacks in order to deprive their
venom of its potency to stir up resent
ment against the Germans. His reply
of February 11 to "Fair Play," a pro
testing correspondent, is a fair sample
of his methods; he undertakes to in
terpret one of the German national
songs: "Deutschland Uber Alles," and
claims that it means Germany aspires
to first place among the nations of
the world.
This interpretation is identical with
that which Mr. Lloyd-George gave his
British audience whom he addressed
on September 21. 1914, In Queen's hall.
London. In a speech teeming with 'mis
representations of German history and
aspirations; his effort was a caricature
of German character, and his misquot
ing of German poetry was one of tbe
PERTINENT COMMENT
SMALL CHANGE
A lazy man is a dead loss to him
self. " -
Few men have a walkover in the
race for wealth.
If you can t find a good opportunity
get busy and make one.
Political principle Is one thing and
political interest another.
Presently the overcoat will be
eclipsed by the shade tree.
,
A man considers life a grind -when
his grist isn't worth grinding.
Take the conceit out of the aver
age man and there isn't much left.
True charity- consists of opening the
purse and keeping the face closed.
Marriage may not be the death of
love, . but it frequently causes a pro
longed trance.
A woman is never happy unless she
is almost crazy for something her hus
band's income can't handle.
A boy had almost as soon work as
to play at something where there is
no chance to break his neck.
The man who is too positive about
things spends a lot of valuable time
looking for small holes to crawl into.
If a' rich man can't go to heaven,
he will experience rn the next life
what the balance of us are having in
this.
We ought t-f send only deaf men to
thefegislature. Then the members
couPd all speak at once without dis
turbing each other.
Every time there is a change In the
political administration, the party of
ficeseekers gather under the plum tree
and hold their hats.
YEAR'S RECORD OF
By John M. Oskison.
Among other statistics lately Issued
from Washington it was shown that
200 new national banks were author
ized to begin business in the year 1914.
The total number of such banks
authorized in our history has been 10.
672. of which 3079 had been discon
tinued. That leaves us with 7593 na
tional banks, with an authorized capi
tal of J1.074, 382,175.
Here is a net increase of n-itlonal
banks since July 1, 1914, of 120 and
this during six months of European
war And seriously disturbed businesaj
in this country! Total capital author
ized increased in that six months by
some $10,500;000.
The earnings of the national bankB
are a sufficient explanation of their
record of increase. Taking them In
total they paid dividends last year of
11.39 per cent of their capital; the ratio
of dividends to capital and surplus
was 6.81 per cent, and the ratio of
earnings to capital and surplus was
8.39 per cent. You see, the average
salient features of his. oration. But
Mr. Lloyd-George's motives are easily
understood and appreciated at their
proper value.
But who can fathom the motives of
the Oregonlan In attempting to force
this mischievously erroneous Inter
pretation of German poetry upon Its
vainly protesting readers? Its insist
ence that its version is correct and
that of the Germans' wrongs implies
one of two things: Either the Ore
gonlan assumes that the Germans fear
to indorse the sentiment expressed in
their song, or else It must claim that
it understands their language better
than the Germans themselves do. The
latter theory presupposes an astound
ing proficiency on the part of the Ore
gonlan as a scholarly and accomplished
linguist; and last Sunday's copy of
that marvelous sheet furnishes a de
licious sample of knowledge of the
German language. On the editorial
page of that date, under the caption,
"Clever Jack," it sagely expatiates
upon the mental status of a male
equine and parading its linguistic at
tainments, it puts the title. "Clever
Jack," in German, thus, "Kluge Hans."
It is a brief sentence, containing
only two words; but the eminent schol
ar managed to crowd two errors into
It, as any "beginner in German" will
point out to him. And a writer whose
knowledge of a language is so faulty
that he can't even give a correct ren
dition In German of such simple words
as "Fatherland" or "military comman
der," which always appear in most
fantastic garb in his paper, under
takes to expound German poetry. Be
fore he attempts any more of it, let
him practice up on nursery rhymes
like the following:
Der Mensch der 1st ein Desultier,
Was kann der Elefant dafur!
FAITHFUL READER.
Decries Hostility to Corporations.
Portland, Feb. 16. To the Editor of
The Journal It seems strange that
there are those who glory in doing
what they can to destroy corporations,
like railroads .ind other public utilities
to which we look for the development
of our country. I believe in regulation
of public utilities and placing them
under control of the railroad commis
sion, but I do not feel so hostile
against big corporations that I want
to destroy them. Anyone knows it
takes large capital to carry on our big
enterprises, and as patriotic citizens,
we certainly like to see big concerns
prosperous, for that is what makes
good times, and it simply is a sul
state of civilization when politicians,
like the members of our legislature,
refused to place the Jitneys under tho
railroad commission, for fear they
would lose votes of the class of people
who want to destroy rather than pro
mote our business enterprises. Some
of that class will read this and declare
at once that I am a gloating capitalist
and a stockholder in the street car
company or some other big business.
Anyone who might thinks so can easily
find out if they will inquire. On the
contrary, I am a very humble citizen,
but believe in Justice to big business
as well as little business, and I am
patriotic enough to want to see Port
land grow and extend her suburbs out
for miles In every direction, and every
one who has tbe welfare of Portland
at heart ought to know that If we
kill the street car company, Portland
is finished, and It seems strange that
anyone would want to do this who
expects to make Portland his home.
CI " f.iiN.-
Fido and the Children.
Forest Grove. Or.. Feb. 16. To the
Editor of The Journal I am glad that
someone has had the courage to speak
a good word for man s best friend, the
dog . It sometimes seems as if. in the
mad rush for money and political
power humanity has ceased to exist.
Why anyone should hate an innocent,
affectionate dog is a mystery to me,
and if a dog is well cared for and
trained no better playmate for a child
can be found. Did anyone ever know
of a dog "that taught a child to lie,
drink, smoke or swear? Can as much
be said for human associates? wanyi
parents teach tbeir children to hate'
AND NEWS IN BRIEF
OREGON SIDELIGHTS
First call for Fourth of July. 1915,
comes from Hermlston. where already
the men of the fire department are ar
ranging for a celebration.
Pendleton East Oregonlan: By ail
means Umatilla county should celo-.
brate the opening of the Celilo canal
and while we are at it do the thing
right. It' will be an event worth tak
ing notice of.
.
The Burns News reports 74,279 rab
bit Bcalps brought in during tire Janu
ary term of court in Harney county.
This will probably be the largest lot
in any month, as the pests are now
getting scarce and wild.
The Bandon Recorder believes that
the proposed $9500 fire, engine "would
not be nearly as efficient to protect
the city of Bandon against fire as
one or two swift indictments by the
grand jury at its next session."
The Coffee club at Pendleton will
be closed March 1, the Associated
Charities having decided to let It
lapse, at least until next fall. It was
thought there was little demand for
such an institution during the summer
months.
City beautiful admonition in Stnn
field Standard: "Stanfield isn'.t dirty
enough to have a cleanup day, but we
want to be very careful not to get
dirty. It's much easier to keep clean
than it is to get clean after we are
very dirty, eo let's watch the littlo
accumulations of trash and keep thetn
cleaned up." '
Drewsey Pioneer Sun: It has come
to such a pass these days that one can
not hunt or fish without paying tribute
th ctsit.n nr nution for such priv
ilege. It is up to the people affected
by the present conamon oi nyurupnu
bia to demand that state and nation
take care of their pups and cats as
the individuals are doing.
NATIONAL BANKS
bank puts Into Its surplus account over
1 per cent of its-earnings every year.
Failures of national banks are so few
in number that each one becoms a
matter of wide public Interest. Here
for instance, on the morning this Is
written, comes the announcement that
the First National of Unlontown, Pa.,
has closed its doors.
I remember my feeling of vicarious
pride in that particular hank when I
first read a financial paper's list of
"roll of honor" banks In the United
States, for the Unlontown bank led
all the rest in the size of Its reported
surplus compared with its capirai.
And now the (apparently) solldest
national bank In the country has closed
Its doors!
As a matter of fact, it Isn't, likely
that the Unlontown bank's depositors
will lose their, money, and under the
system of government supervision that
Is in force it Isn't likely that any na
tional bank will fail so disastrously
as to entail, heavy loss on depositors
"Wherf losses do eo'me, they fall on the
owners of the banks' stock.
A FEW SMILES
A judge In remanding a criminal
called him -a scoundrel. The prisoner
replied:
"Sir. I am not as
big a scoundrel as
your honor' h ere
the culprit stopped,
but finally added
"takes me to be."
"Put your words
closer together," said
the Judge.
"If any man here." shouted tho
temperance speaker, "can name an
honest business tnat
has been helped by
the saloon I will
spend the rest of
my life working for
the liquor people.
A man In the au
dience arose, "t con
sider my business an
honest one," h said, "and It has been
helped by the saloon."
"What ia your business?" yelled the
orator.
"I, sir," responded the man,- "am an
undertaker."
The -man from Montana was eating
lobster Newburg the other night in
a Broadway restau
rant. "Lobsters are com
mon enough to you
people here on the
seacoast," he re
marked to a New
Yorker, "but when
one gets Well inland
the fresh lobster becomes a bit more
of a novelty. Not that we don t get
plenty of lobsters in Montana, but,
naturally, there they're not as nu
merous as down here and they are
regarded as more of a luxury.
"This fact was brought to .my at
tention one night 'recently In a hotel
in Butte. I got in on a rather late
train and went into a restaurant
about 9 o'clock in the evening for
dinner. I happened to feel like eat
ing a grouse or a dur-k or something
of that sort. I glanced at the menu
and failed to see any birds.
'"Haven't you got any grouse tit
other game? I asked the waiter.
'"We ain't got any grouse,' was the
reply. 'The only game we have la
lobster. "
and abuse the faithful dog that would
give its life for Its little friends, if
need be. Yet they have no scruples
about letting tbeir children fun on the
streets night and day, where they
hear all kinds of vile language and
learn things that they should not
know, and would not if they were kept
at home and allowed to have pets and
live the happy and pure lives that
should be their heritage. I fully be
lieve that the child that Is allowed to
have pets and is taught to treat them
kindly stands a better chance to be
come a noble man or woman than th
children that have been taught to
hate dubib animals and to abuse them
at every opportunity; for cruel chil
dren make cruel men and women. This
is why we have to have a Humane so
ciety to keep men from beating, starv
ing and working poor, helpless horses
to death, and this in a land of churches
and schools, where people are sup
posed to be civilized if not Christian
ized. t
Of course, some nervous people are
afraid to look at a dog for fear of
hydrophobia, but several years' resi
dence next door to a Pasteur Institute
in a large city convinced me that cases
of .genuine rabies are very rare, and I
never knew of but one fatal cane.
M. W. B.
Not Right.
Herbert and Helen were sitting on
the beach in - the moonlight, when,
moved by an impulse he could not
resist, he suddenly kissed her.
"Oh. Herbert!" she exclaimed, "that's
not right."
"I'm very sorry, Helen," replied
Herbert humbly; "I did tha best I
knew how. Won't you ahow me the
proper way?" t
r71 .iff i
"HI EARLY SATS"
By frad lVeoklsy. Special Staff Writs at
Tbu JfaonaL.
Dr. Harry Lane, United States sena
tor from Oregon, comes by his political
aspirations honestly. If you will trace
the records of the Lane family you
will find that wherever they have
been . they are serving as governors,
generals, senators or at the head of
affairs. Senator Lane's grandfather
was Oregon's first territorial governor.
He. was also Oregon's delegate to
congress and United States Henator
from Oregon and was the Democratic
candidate for ' vice president when
Breckenrldge and Lane ran against
Lincoln In 1660. General Lane
daughter. Mrs. L. F. Mosher. of tin
city, talks very entertainingly of Ore
gon's early days and of the part taken
by her father in Oregon history.
General Lane had a wide acquaint
ance with ttie prominent men, not. only
of Oregon but of the whole country.
Among his peronal friends were Cal
houn, Clay. Webster, Marcy, Douglas,
Seward, Chase und Buchanan. Harriet
Lane, the mistress of the White House
during Buchanan's administration was
Generul Lane's cousin. As a boy he
knew General Jackson and greatly ad
mired him. In talking to the pioneers
or in readiug reminiscences of many
of Oregon's great men one is struck
by the fuct that General Lane was
universally admired. United Statea
Senator Nenmith. who met General
Lane in Ban Francisco in February,
1849, and who was his f ellow-paasan-ger
on board the former East India
brig "Jannett." in speaking of General
Lane, says: "I served under his com
mand in the "Rogue River campaign la
1853. In 1849 we explored together
the Sjletz and 'Yaquina bay country. I
believe we were the first white men
to cross out over the bar at Yaquina.
We made-the trip In an Indian canoe
and sounded the channel to the tea.
In all the exalted positions that. Gen
eral Lane occupied he never forgot
lys origin as one of the toiling people.
The humblest farmer or mechanic al
ways found in hltn a sympathetic
friend, lie led a life of remarkable
abstemiousness and frugality, coupled
with incessant Industry. He was gen
erous to a fault.
"When the government sent out
pay master "with funds to pay us .for
our services' in the Rogue River and
Indian Wars lie signed the pay roll and
directed that his pay should be turned,
over to the destitute orphan children
whose parents had been killed in th
Boise massacre. He was gallant, chiv
alrous and modest. These were his in
herent qualities which the rough garb
of the farmer, miner." hunter, Indian
fighter or the gold epaulets and tjnl
form of the general or tho habiliments
of the governor or senator could never
change. In dfliiger or in buttle he
was ool and alert. I do not think h
knew what fear wus. 1 epeak of his
dauntless courage by Hie light of the
experience I hart in standing by his
side under the shadow of Table Rock
it) September, 1853. when our little
party of 11 men, unarmed, and. Gen
eral Lane, badly wounded, wore sur
rounded by 700 hostile and well-urined
Indians, who threatened our lives in
retaliation for the dcatli -of one of
their trllie. Hut for the coolrie.ss and
defiant courage .of our commander.
General Lane, I bellfve. our little' party
would have furnished nnoth"r illus
tration of the barbaric instinct of the
Indians for the. t reai liei us shedding
of blood."
Judge Matthew P. Iefid in speak
ing Of his friend General Unc ijnys:
"On Sunday. September 10. 1 Sf,.".. I
was present when the white ehief Gen
eral Joseph Lane and tho Indian chief
Joseph, tin? former with his arm in a
eling and the latt-r In a blanket or
toga that would, have done honor to a
Kornan senator, met on the side of
the mountain near Table Hock, In the
presence of hundreds of Indians and
of a few white men and agreed on
terms of a treaty of peace. General
Lane lived honestly and-dled poor, lie
was a man oi mure uittn-uiuiiifli pur
ity. "Generous, affable, brave, gal
lant and lover of women, a friend of
the helpless, we shall not soon look
upon his like again.''
The Ragtime Muse j
Proper Capr.
Now Julia bends before the glaaa,
Determination in her eye.
I stop to watch her as 1 pass;
"One, two," she counts. 1 wonder
why.
Her hands upon her chest she laya.
A drvad in a gym emit she
For such a. sight the public paya
At theatres; I have it free:
Now Julia risa on her toes
Nor stops to notice me at -all;
I am prepared, for, goodness knows,
I won't stand here and let her fall!
How does she do it? I should die '
At least I'd stob for breath. I'm
sure:
he goes right on and seenia to try
To see how- much she can endure.
Now Julia pauses, then adm flinga
Her arms out sideways, wags bar
head
And does a lot of other things
Until her faca In turkev red.
"You must be crazy!" I proteat;
She hears me with a weary smile.
"I'm nearly done, then I can rest
My shoulders have to be In style!"
Warring Nations' Standing Armlea.
From the New York Times.
Statistics regarding the armlea of
the warring nation are aa follows:
Germany Standing army on a peace
footing, 31,459 officers, 768, C40 men;
war strength, active army, 1,700,000;
landwehr, 1,200,000; landsturm, 1,000.
000; total 4,000,000.
France National army In time of
peace, 869,403; war strength, active
army, 1,000,000; reserves and depots,
1,600,000; territorial army. 818,000;
territorial reserves, 451,000; total, 3,
878.000. - Kn gland Standing army on a' peace
footing, including home army, army
reserve, special reserve and Territorial
army, 734,955 ; war strength, 29,330 of
flcera and 772,000 men.
Russia Standing army on a peaca
footing. 1.284,000; war strength,'
962,306.
Auatrla-Hungary Army In tlma of
peace, 472,716; war strength of regular
army, 1,360,000; war strength raised to
maximum with complete reaervea. 4,-
320,000.
Belgium Army tn time of peace,
3,542 officers, 44,061 men; - war
strength, between 300,000 and 350,000.
Servla Army on a peace footing,'
160,000; war strength, somewhat snore
than 380,000.
Professor Charles Rlchet of the Uni
versity of Pal-la haa calculated that
a general war would bring 21,200,000
men into the' field, and that the coat
of feeding the armies at. war would be
approximately 312,600,000 a day.
Keep Her Amnsed.
From the Buffalo News-...
Iceland warms up enough to demand
a, flag and a status of her own and
even , aspires to Independence. She
ought to have anything aha wants that
costs nobody else anything; y.-;