THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL, PORTLAND, SUNDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 28, 1915.
THE JOURNAL
: AN ISPRPWSDEVr NEWSPAPER
C K. JACKSON.....
Pnbllaber
iabJUbel ery rrrotnf except Sander) am
cvvrj- oumuj rooming iat joarruu rmiir.'
Irr. Broad-rajr and x"mj'l t Portland. Or.
interact at tbe pMittf flee at 1'wtland. Or., (of
. tranainlMlon Utroagb Ue roalia aa aeeood
clau matter.
T-.LEl'HONKS Mala 71 73; Horn A-40S1- AH
. depart ment, reached, br flieae aambera. Tell
tba operator wbat VMrtront uraot.
UKEIUN AIVKHTISINJ RE! KSiKNTATl VK
Benjamin & Keutnor Co.. Bran'wlck Bids-.
225 Fifth ae.. New Kork. 1218 Peoplea
Uaa Bldfc... Chicago.
Sutcrlition terma "jjr uall or to an ad
Cres to tb United ntatea or Mexico:
DAILY . .
One Tear $5.00 Otae month .. -v
8DNDAT . .
One rear ..$2. So I rae mouth a
DAILY AND gCNDAT
One jrenr $7J I Otw month ...... . -OS
"a?
The true test of civilization
In. not the census, nor the size
of cities, nor the crops, but the
kind of man that the country
turns, out. Kmernon.
THE DALY OKDIX.WCE
T
(HOSE who criticize the Daly
wage ordinance ought to visit
Bonn, of the houses where the
laborers with unpronouncable
names dwell.
, In uch a house of say seven
' rooms, there may be 2 0' dwellers.
" They live like rats, half a dozen
or more sleeping in one room. They
, are' either single men, or their
v families' are in Europe or the Ori
' ent.
L Much of their wage is sent to
foreign countries. More than a
I million dollars, mostly on that
.f ' score, went out of Portland
K through one channel alone last
ear. They are not taxpayers. Or
'. citizens. 0- home builders.
I . After visiting .louse's of this
- kind, the critics ought to visit the
- homes of the resident unskilled
' ' working population. Usually, it is
' an American family with children
playing about the door and a pa
tient faced woman inside. Per
haps the husband and father is
employed. Perhaps not. Unskilled
labor is nearly always unemployed
a part of the year. Even if the
pay when employed is $3 a day,
the average daily earnings for the
year may be . only It Is a
mighty meagre income on which
to support a family.
Every cent of this home's earn
ings, however, goes into local cir
" culation. It buys stockings and
shoes. It buys books and bacon.
It pays street car fares and gas
bills. It is not sent to Europe, but
: goes directly to the support of
. Portland and the upbuilding of
Portland.
The. presence of this, family adds
to the realty values of Portland. It
; helps pay the landlords' rentals
. for business properties. It helps
' pay taxes for the support of gov
" crnnienU for all the little home
owners are taxpayers.
These- little homes are the bed
jock on which the institutions of
the Republic rest secure. They
mean marriage, and marriage
mean a substantial and thoughtful
: citizenship. They mean peace and
order and growth and life. They
lire the bulwarks of the nation.
.t.i .1 . . ... (" v. , . . i .(-..-.....
I i'BV Hit- Hl- lOlLb 1U1 ijivr Ll-ir-iistr
of the1 Republic.
After the critics visit the houses
; of the un7rononncable names and
the little homes where the child
ren iilav about thf dnnr thpv
should ao down and look at the
bill boards on which the contrac
tors advertise for unskilled labor
ers. For years, these bill boards
- have seldom if ever called foT
- American white labor. The de
, inand is the Turk, the Assyrian,
- the Greek and others from the
Orient and Southern Europe. They
I are ignorant and work for a lower
' wage, and are therefore sought.
' The contractor cannot be blamed.
Ha must compete, and must there-
fore reduce his labor cost to the
minimum. So the Assyrian gets
the iob and the married American
who- may be paying for his little
! home on the installment plan goes
unemployed.
In the letting of a sewer contract
' in Portland the other day, the low-
CS'. UiU VV cl PS ll.y J 'J lUICIgUBIS,
: banded together under the name
s of the? Oregon Contract company.
At the council proceedings their
; negotiations were carried on
through an interpreter. Often the
lr - contractors have to employ inter
preters in giving directions to their
t men.
For generations there has been
I - a propaganda in this country about
c'onipetitiou with cheap pauper la
j, hor from the Orient and otherwise.
" Who is pitted harder against that
kind of -competition than th- un
r skilled resident worker in Port
. land?
- Some of the beat people in Port
; land are of foreign birth. Some
of Portland's best citizens came
' Germans, French, Scandinavians,
l' Austrians, Italians, Greeks and
i other persons of foreign birth, we
have, many highly desirable and
greatly valued families, who are
" , strength to our communities, our
- states and the nation. Not one
word other than a hospitable wel
come and a hearty commendation
; la to be uttered of them.
- t. Nor is there stricture in this
discussion of the unskilled labor
ers of foreign birth who are here
mentioned. The point is, that the
Daly ordinance is, and should be
. maintained as, a protection for
- ' them, and for all unskilled labor
" against their own necessities and
against their ignorance in accept
lns an impossible wage and then
: . ' " " , . t
IN THE NAME OF HUMANITY
THERE seems to be a good chance for a favorable reply by the bel
ligerent powers to the latest American note.
The purport of this note is gradually filtering through the
veil of- diplomatic reserve. Its purpose was to clear away the
grave complications incident to the method of naval warfare adopted
by the belligerents and the peril to neutral shipping consequent thereto.
It appears to have proposed that the United States would supply non
combatants of the warring nations with foodstuffs under guarantees
that only non-cambatants would be served, provided the belligerents
in turn would withdraw the naval operations under which neutral ship
ping has been imperiled. There seems to be some reason to believe
that the proposal was accompanied by a statement that if present meth
ods continue on the high seas, the United States may feel impelled to
declare an embargo under which no foodstuffs would be exported from
this country to any of the belligerents.
Informal information is to the effect that Germany, in particular,
is favorably inclined to the American proposal. Such an attitude from
that government was to have been expected, because Germany is be
lieved to be in more or less of a precarious situation as to provisions.
German isolation from the rest of the world is for the moment, un
doubtedly more of a menace to German chances of success than are the
artillery and fighting men of the
is a first essential to an army, and
and tremendous efficiency of the German military cannot always defy
that relentless and uncompromising foe. starvation. Napoleon was In
vincible so far a3 the bayonets and
concerned, but when he gave battle
cold and hunger incident to a Russian winter, the beginning of his
downfall was ushered in.
Meagre news from London is
can proposal with less favor, but
supports the plan. Great Britain
hunger, but under the American plan
her in the greater safety to her
drawal of the German war zone. It is a concession less vital to her
than is the concession to Germany of a food supply for German non
combatants, bu under the stress of a realization that the present
anarchy on the high seas cannot long continue, British common sense
and British obligation to civilization are likely to approve President
Wilson's proposal.
In any event, the president's proposal is such an act as was to have
been expected from the chief magistrate of a great Christian nation.
It is proffer of American assistance to save the non-combatant women,
children, boys and old men from the pangs of hunger, an effort to
civilize warfare as far as possible to the end that those who remain at
home may not endure even greater suffering than those who go out
into the trenches and along the firing line.
It is a proposal that ought, more than ever, to direct the atten
tion of the world to the splendid purpose of the great neutral, interested
so far as this last and vastest human cataclysm is concerned, only in
the welfare of mankind and the protection of the weak and suffering
and to mitigate to the largest possible exent, the suffering of the in
nocent and helpless victims of merciless war.
Wherever German-Americans or German sympathizers have felt
disposed to find fault with President W7ilson's policy, they should now
find in this latest note, reason, not only to withdraw their strictures,
but to applaud Woodrow Wilson and have a renewed faith in the land
of their adoption, in its high purpose and in the justice and magnificent
neutrality betokened by the American flag.
attempting to lower life conditions
to fit such a wage.
The Daly measurie fixes on pub
He emnlovment a Waee on which
a worker's family can live, can get j
the benefit of schools, can rear
children properly nourished and
clothed, can, in sjiort, make the
living conditions' of the working
population endurable.
Under such a wage, the married
resident worker, who is the most
effective worker, will not be left
unemployed, while the transient
unmarried has preferment through
the fact that he is too ignorant to
know when he is exploited.
The ordinance may add slightly
to the cost of both public and pri
vate work, but there is a doubled
or quadrupled compensation in the
knowledge that the money will not
be sent to the Orient, but be spent
for bacon asd butter and bread
and books in Portland, contribut
ing to the prosperity of all. up
lifting the life standard of all,
and elevating the contemplations
and hopes of all.
AX I M 1ST AXT MECISIOX
THE United States supreme
court has upheld the con
stitutionality of California's
eight-hour law for women in,
mercantile and manufacturing oc
cupations. A Massachusetts ten
hour law had been sustained, as
also an Ohio law placing the limit
for women workers at fifty-four
hours a week.
The decision in the California
case establishes no new principle,
but it is important' because it up
holds the most radical law yet sub
mitted for the court's considera
tion. It may safely be assumed
that the highest court in the land
has decided for all time that a
state has the right to protect the
health of its women, even to the
extent of denying them the right
of contract to labor more hours
than they should.
This decision has especial Inter
est in connection with Oregon's
minimum wage law for women.
Should the supreme court sustain
the Oregon law, the two rulings
would in effect declare that em
ployers of women are shorn of
rights they supposed they had to
fix hours and wages.
The Oregon law is defended in
the state's brief filed in the su
preme court by the claim that the
subject of a minimum wage comes
under the police powers of the
state. That was the ground on
which the California eight-hour
law was sustained.
CUTTING OUT LAWYERS
THE experiment of trying minor
court cases without lawyers
will naturally be followed
with much interest. It is a
tendency to return to early cus
toms. In ancient Greece we are tcld
that litigants were compelled to
try their own cases' because it
was supposed advocates had un
due influence with the judges.
The old Roman law also forbade
parties taking assistance from any
one save in suits in which the com
munity as such was concerned, or
in actions involving questions of
personal liberty.
A little later the Grecian system
was relaxed so as to pernfit liti
gants to consult men expert in
the law for advice and guidance.
These experts used to write argu
ments which their clients com-
allies. The commissary department
even the unrivalled organization
soldiery of opposing armies were
to the snows and winter blasts and
that Great Britain views the Ameri
that a fair percentage of officialdom
is in no danger from the army of
there would be compensation for
merchant shipping by partial with
mitted to memory and delivered in
court. The Romans also modified
their rules to the extent of allow
ing parties to resort to a "cog
niter" to prosecute or defend a
cause. Later on "procurators" were
admitted to the courts to conduct
litigation in the name of their
principal. Then came the "juris
consults," who expounded the law
for a fee, when they could collect
it, to those who sought their ad
vice. Incidentally Cicero had great
contempt for these "jurisconsults."
He said that even a very busy
man could qualify in three days'
time for the office of "juriscon
sult." In old England, likewise, liti
gants were compelled to conduct
their cases in person and colonial
Virginia forbade lawyers, for a
time, to practice their profession.
Gradually as society became
more complex these old laws aimed
at the exclusion of the lawyers in
court gave way to the modern
system which makes it necessary
to "see a lawyer" before securing
justice by judicial process. Not
only must he who seeks justice
pay a price but the quality of the
justice he secures depends largely
upon the skill and ability of the
lawyer he employs. The lawyers
have a monopoly on justice. They
are its custodians.
If it is found that lawyers can
be dispensed with in minor cases
why not extend the rule to major
cases and by a simplification of
rules of procedure approach the
central Idea of administering jus
tice surely, swiftly and at a mini
mum of cost. It 13 not necessary
to abolish lawyers altogether.
They can be made useful- in get
ting at the truth rather than in
concealing it.
CONVICT AM) CHRISTIAN
AN UNUSUAL feature of a
union religious revival ser
vice begun at Joliet, Illinois,
a few days ago was the pres
ence of the Honor Men's Prison
Band, made up of thirty-five con
victs from the state penitentiary.
Among the musicians was a man
serving a life sentence for murder,
and another a burglar who had
been sentenced to an indefinite
term, from ten to twenty years.
Accompanied by a member of
the prison staff the band came to
the city in a special car. WThen It
marched through the street from
the station to the tabernacle it
was followed by a cheering throng
and as it entered the building it
received an ovation from the large
crowd assembled.
In the service the band played
the accompaniment to "Nearer My
God to Thee," "Rock of Ages."
and other familiar hymns while
the people sang. It was an im
pressive scene in which there was
no glimpse of cell or stripe but the
sheen of souls that were for the
moment basking in the light of
freedom. When the service was
over the convicts returned in their
special car to the penitentiary. .
The incident was a shock to
those who cling to the old theory
that when a man goes behind the
prison bars he doffs his manhood
with his clothing and covers hi3
soul with stripes as he does his
body.
On the other hand the action of
the Joliet churches was approved
by those who believe that even the
convict should have an opportunity
for redemption, that the better
part of him still lives to be re
deemed. Even In the worst crimi
inal there is a vestige of manhood,
a remnant of character and it is
the work of penal 'nstitutions and
society at large to discover, foster
and liberate this vestige, this rem
nant. It is better to put a man
on honor than on bread and water.
It is be.er to give him an oppor
tunity to attend a revival outside
the prison walls than compel him
to wait until his sentence has expired.
A PROMISE KEPT
SAMUEL HILL has made good
his word to travelers that by
July 1 there would be a good
highway from British Colum
bia to San Diego.
The last link in the chain has
been forged in his installation of
a ferry service across the Columbia
river between Maryhill and Biggs,
just above the Celilo rapids.
The completion of highway con
tracts in Hood River county,
through the cooperation of S. Ben-,
son will make' it possible to go
from Portland to Hood River city.
Crossing the river to Stevenson the
traveler can proceed to Lyle,
thence to Goldendale and on to
Maryhill, recrossing the Columbia
at Biggs and continuing through
Central Oregon to Lakeview and
thence through the Pitt river val
ley connecting with the California
system of highways. It Is the be
ginning of a route which will
have an advantage over other
routes Jn that it can be traveled
every day in the year due to
climatic conditions. The snows of
winter will throw up no barriers.
Besides being a factor In an al
ternate route between Portland
and California, after the Columbia
Highway is continued through
Wasco county via The Dalles, the
Maryhill ferry will be an import
and and permanent institution in
the local transportation of the two
banks of the Columbia and in the
through travel between the In
land Empire and Portland and
California.
The ferry is Mr. Hill's personal
contribution to the cause of better
roads.
It is one of the peculiar anoma
lies of human nature that the dis
interested public service of such
men as Mr. Hill, Mr. Benson and
Mr. Yeon should fail of proper ap
preciation and be thrown in the
scales to be weighed against the
selfish desires of those who have
something to sell.
NO WORLD LAW
NEVER before has there been
such a complete breakdown
of international law. , Under
the stress of the greatest war
in history what is known as the
law of nations has been torn up
and flung in the waste basket At
one time there was talk of the
Declaration of London as binding
on the belligerents. But that con
vention was early disregarded.
Then there was hope that interna
tional law would be a guide to the
fighting nations, especially In their
relations with neutrals.
As stated by Professor Charles
C. Hyde on another page of The
Sunday Journal, international law
consists of rules reached by com
mon agreement of the nations.
These rules exist, but they are be
ing openly and flagrantly violated
by. the belligerents. There is no
way to enforce international law.
A neutral whose rights are vio
lated t&n do nothing but protest
or threaten. If protests and
threats are disregarded the abused
nation must choose between two
very disagreeable alternatives. It
may submit to injuries or it may
fight.
Under international law, not
only neutral ships and their car
goes, unless contraband of war,
are safe from molestation, but also
neutral coods on hostile ships.
Neutral passengers and non-combatants
of belligerent nations are
supposed to be safe from harm.
Under international law the
rights of all states are considered
absolutely equal. Size, population
and power make no difference.
Russia. Belgium and the little re
public of Panama stand on equal
footing before the congress of na
tions. But all this is theory, supported
only by, moral obligation, subject
to change or abrogation the same
as a treaty, because as yet there
is ho method of enforcing the law.
When any belligerent power dis
cards all restraints of International
law the condition becomes much
the same as in pirate days when
buccaneers were a law unto them
selves. It is because there is no world
law to which the United States
can appeal with certainty of get
ting justice that these are critical
days for us. It is to the. discredit
of civilization that such a condi
tion exists. It is the reason be
hind warnings from the president
that in such times as these Ameri
cans should remain calm, unre
sentful and vigilant. The belliger
ents are "seeing red." It must be
remembered there, is no police
court for punishing the violator
of international law.
Dear Little Sister.
From the London Opinion.
Hilary at in the drawing room
awaiting: his fiancee when the little
daughter of the house entered.
"Here," said the child. "Is a sweet
for you." And she gave him a hard,
white lozenge.
"Oh, -what a nice loienge," said the
young man. putting, it Into hia mouth
and beginning to suck vigorously.
"Yes. isn't itr' lisped the little girl,
"It was : striped wlv -pink onee."
MODERN FORCES THAT
CHALLENGE THE CHURCH
By CHARLES STKLZLE,
Cburc-h EfflcleiM-jr Kxptrt and Conanltlnjr So
rioloeiat; r'ormTlj- Head of the !oolaI Serv
l'T Bureau of the Presbyterian Church.
THUS far the church has stood the
test of time. Her ideals and her
methods have been so far above
those of every other agency that she
has surpassed them in the race for
supremacy. For, at no time in her
history has the claim of the church to
be the truest representative of Uod
In the world been undisputed. Other
religions and other institutions have
insisted that they, too, must be rec
ognized as representing the spirit
and the teaching' of the Creator. But
the great strength of the church lies
in the fact that Christianity is the
result of God's seeking man. while all
other religions are the result of man's
seeking God.
Not only has the church adjusted
herself to changing social conditions,
but she has been the principal factor
in social progress. Even her enemies
have been compelled to admit that
the church has done more for the
common cause of humanity than all
other agencies combined But, as in
religion, so in social progress, the
spirit and the method of the church
have sometimes been appropriated by
social reformers, and in some in
stances they have set themselves
up as leaders of movements which
ignored the church.
It is not likely that any one force
in the city's life will ever gain (su
premacy over the church. It may
be, however, that a combination of
forces will cripple her usefulness and
power. Probably other' religions are
to be feared least of all. While they
may have many followers, none will
ever usurp the place of the Christian
church. For their existence and their
aggressiveness will purify the church
of those faults and failures which
may have given rise to the introduc
tion of false religions in our midst.
But such religions do exist today.
Sometimes with teachers from heathen
lands, these devotees of religions
whose doctrines have long, since been
exploded, are giving themselves to a
worship which is contrary to the
Word of God, and which would seem
to violate the laws of good sense and
a sane judgment. Nevertheless, there
are thousands who blindly follow the
leadings of men and women who pose
as prophets and seers of a new re
ligious dispensation.
Naturally there are elements of
truth in each of these substitutes for
the church, even in the Orientalism
which seems so heathenish to our
Occidental tastes and inclinations.
Some teaching there is which seems
to satisfy the spiritual hunger of
many who have been disappointed In
the coldness of a particular local
church that lacked the enthusiasm
and warmth f a great love. Others
have failed to find in some churches
that expression of the true ethical
teaching of Christ, and so they
strayed to another organization to
find in its doctrine something of that
which their sincere hearts sought,
but have failed to receive that life
and power which come of a fuller
fellowship with the Son of GoJ.
The church today seems to have
arrived at one of the most crucial
periods in her history. Some there
are who talk of the church "holding
her own." But that seems like of
fering a miserable sop to an institu
tion that holds a commission to con
quer and to regenerate the world.
However it may be with reference to
her task as a whole, no one can suc
cessfully deny that the Church is
slowly but surely losing ground in
the city.
More dangerous than any opposins
religious system Is the church's ap
parent failure to recognize the Influ
ence of the social and physical con
ditions that affect many of those
whom we are seeking to win to
Christ. These conditions have more
to do with their alienation from the
church than is generally supposed.
Do you recall that for a time the
children of Israel would not hearken
to Moses because of the "rigor' of
their toil," even though he came with
a message direct from the throne of
God? For the same reason there
are today thousands who would not
listen to the gospel message even
though it were preached by an angel
sent from heaven.
The filthy slum, the dark tene
ment, the insanitary factory, the long
hours of toil, the lack of a living
wage, the back-breaking labor, the
inability to pay doctors' bills, the
poor and insufficient food, the lack
of leisure, the swift approach of old
age, the dismal future these weigh
down the hearts and lives of vast
multitudes in our cities. Many have
almost forgotten how to smile. To
laugh is a lost art. The look of care
has come so often and for so long
a period at a time that it Is now
forever stamped upon their faces.
The lines are deep and .hard. Their
souls their ethical souls are all but
lost. No hell In the future can be
worse to them than the hell in which
they now are. They fear death less
than they do sleep. Some. Indeed,
long for the summons, daring not to
take their own lives.
To such, what does it matter
whether the doors of the church are
closed or open? What attraction has
the flowery sermpn or the polished
oration? What meaning have the
fatherhood of God and the brother
hood of Man? Where is God?, they
ask; and what cares man? they say.
It is in meeting the needs of these
that the church will be severely
tested in coming days.
Mars.
From the Philadelphia Led re r.
Mars i a curious- fellow. He
squeezes pennies out . of every dollar
PUT UP THE SWORD
By John Grcenleaf Whittier.
"PUSTP;
O'e
(UT up the sword!"
leaks, in the pauses
'er fields of corn by
And left dry a.shes; over trenches heaped
With nameless dead; o'er cities starving slow
Under a rain, of fire; through wards ot woe
Down which a growing diapason runs
From tortured brothers, husbands, lovers, sons
Of desolate women in their far-off homes.
Waiting to hear the step that never comes!
Oh, men and brothers! let that voice be heard!
War fails, try peace; put up the useless sword!
Fear not the end. There is a story told
In Eastern tents, when autumn nights grow cold.
And round the fire the Mongol shepherds sit
With grave responses listening unto it;
Once, on the errands of his mercy bent,
Buddha, the holy and benevolent,
Met a fell monster, huge and fierce of look,
Whose awful voice the hills and forests, shook.
"Oh, son of peace!" the giant cried, "thy fate
Is sealed at last, and love shall yield to hate!"
The unarmed Buddha, looking, with no trace
Of fear or anger, in the monster's face,
In pity said: "Poor fiend, even thee 1 love."
Lo! as he spoke the sky-tall terror sank
To the hand-breadth size; the huge abhorrence shrank
Into the form and fashion of a dove;
And where the thunder of its rage was heard.
Circling above him sweetly sang the bird;
"Hate hath no harm for love," so rang the song;
"And peace, unweaponed, conquers every wrong."
NEWSPAPER
From the Memphis News Scimitar.
"Natchez, Miss., Feb. 9. After 43
years the Natchez Democrat, a morn
ing paper, passed out of existence to
day, when a deal was closed whereby
M. S. Belthoover and A. B. Learned,
bankers, purchased the property. The
paper will be consolidated with thvj
Evening News, which is owned by the
purchasers. It will be known as the
News-Democrat, and will be an even
ing paper with a Sunday morning is
sue. Otto C. Lightner, who waa
brought here a short time ago, will re
main in charge during the reorganiza-'
tion."
Any one of three influences or con
ditions will destroy a newspaper. One
is the mistaken conception that a
newspaper is a private snap, and can
be used to further private interests,
when the promise and province of a
newspaper is to serve the public, for
which the owner or owners get paid
in wages in the form of profits. This
attempt to override the law that one
cannot successfully serve two masters,
has always proven fatal. As great a
man as James J. Hill, the empire
builder, had- to give up and closed up4
the St. Paul Globe. An established pa
per. Jay Gould had to yield the
brdken rtqwn New York World to Pul
itzer, a pbor man, who received wages
from the people in the shape of great
profits for doing his best to serve the
people. Collis P. Huntington, another
great man In his sphere, and many
times a millionaire, also made a fail
ure in trying to run a public institu
tion to advance the private interests
of owners or private friends.
.
The second fatal weakness in a
newspaper is insincerity, which also
means nonservlce, and the third weak
ness is In a paper these times, In the
twentieth century, when people want
to read the news as It happens during
the day, that is not delivered until the
IS GOD
By Dr. Frank Crane.
Copyright, 1915, by Frank Crane.)
"Dear Sir I would like to ask you
which has greater love for mankind:
The father and mother who brought
us Into the world and who deny them
selves even the most absolute neces
sities in order that we may have the
best they can give us. even depriving
themselves of the very last morsel
of bread rather than that their loved
ones should suffer the pangs of hun
ger and thirst; or the heavenly father
who, from the boundless supplies
which we are taught are his to com
mand, in millions of cases of dire
necessity and starvation is known to
have withheld 'his divine power to as
suage the sufferings of those children,
men and women, whom be claims to
love so much rmore than we poor, sin
ful mortal can love?"
This letter I lately received. It is
a very real problem that is presented,
shared by numberless mortals. It ix
also a very old one; Archbishop Whate
ly called the presence of evil and pain
in the world "the problem of the
ages."
The, gist of the question is: How
can a' good God allow human suffer
ing? How can He permit such mon
strous cruelties as the present war?
The answer of every clear mind to
thi3 is, "I don't know." That there
is a kindly disposed ruler of the uni
verse is not a matter of knowledge,
but of belief. It is not knowable, but
it is believable. '
There are many phases of life which
would lead us to believe that the cre
ator is unjust or indifferent. My
correspondent has his mind upon one
of these phases.; All disease, agony,
disappointment and death seem to ar
gue a world ruler who is not wholly
kind.
But on the other hand there is evi
dence to outweigh this. The whole
range of life is set to Joy. The keep
ing of nature's laws is attended by
pleasure. The progress of evolution
it toward less misery and more Jus
tice and Joy among men. All who can
take the larger view of things be
that is In railroads, steel mills, gas
works, street- railways, telephones,
copper mines and electric light plants.
He snatches pennies out of every dol
lar of your country's credit and out
of your city's credit, which credit is
represented by bonds.
But Mars adds pennies to The pur
chasing power of the dollar in your
pocket, or the dollar In your bank.
This is not a puzzle, but a statement
of plain, solid fact.
Thus it happens that the dollar
which you had invested in any one of
the 30 leading corporation stocks of
America was worth 10 cents more Just
before the war started than It is to
day. In July your dollar was quoted at
90 cents. Now that Identical dollar
is worth but 80 cents. But If you had
your dollars in your pockets they
would now pure-base for you 112
shares of those various stocks for
every 100 shares these same dollars
would have bought shortly before
Mars let himself loose upon Europe.
What Mars actually does is to put
up the wages of money. Being the
most reckless spendthrift known to
man, he makes dollars more valuable
because he wastes so many.
Thrifty.
Hicks Too bad they put you-, on
the night shift permanently.
Wicks -Oh, I don't know. By. work
in' nights I'll save my room rent and
bv sleepfn' days I'll save my board.
: ' -
The voice of Christ once more
of the cannon's roar.
fiery sickles reaped
PSYCHOLOGY
next morning; this third insurmounta
ble obstacle to success Is this opposi
tion to the calendar, in not being on
time, in not being early enough to
serve the people the news. But with
all three of these unfavorable condi
tions existing In a morning paper,
there is no possible chance for it.
There is only one law of service, and
there are no contradictions between
truths. Nothing lives unless it serve.
A merchant must serve hljs customers
by giving them the most and best for
their outlay, and so must a banker or
a manufacturer, as well as a newspa
per. Everybody is a hired man. Some
are hired by individuals, some by their
customers and some, like an editor of
a newspaper, by the whole public. The
law of service is as Inexorable as the
law of fate; in fact, it is fate Itself.
With Increasing frequency news
items like the above are appearing
now in newspapers. The psychology
of the passing of the morning paper
and the advancing of the evening pa
per is not only that the evening paper
serves the news earlier, but as every
thing is both an effect and a cause.
the evening paper, appearing at a time
when there is time to read it. can be
read by. both the masses and the
classes, and as the masses grea'tly
outnumber the classes, and are of the
greatest importance to the advertisers,
the evening paper not only Influences
the masses, but is Influenced by them,
just as a merchant is influenced in a
way by his customers. It represents
them, while the morning paper, de
pending mainly upon the leisure
classes, rather represents and ex
presses the attitude and sympathies of
the limited classes. It will be noticed,
for instance, as bearing out the views
expressed just above, that the over
whelming proportion of evening pa
pers are progressive or radical, while
the overwhelming proportion of the
morning papers are conservative or
reactionary.
GOOD?
lieve that the great disposer of . des
tiny is good and benevolent. livery
great poet sings this.
We are then forced to con lude that
if God is good and if evil 'and suffer
ing are yet existent, then somehow
what we call evil must be In reality
a part of the general scheme of good.
While. , our moral instincts will not
permit us to call evil good, yet we
are driven to believe thut -the good
ruler has in his mind some plan
wherein so-called evil has a place;
very much as is intimated by the -Bible
saying, "He maketh the wrath of
men to praise him;" or by Tennyson's
verse:
"Oh, yet we trust that somehow good
Will be the final goal of UK"
In brief, we are compelled by the
balance of evidence to believe (1)
that there Is a God, 2) that he is
good, and (3) that what we call evil
is not' comprehensible now to us, and
only seems cruel on account of our
limited Intelligence.
If we understood all that God does,
he would not be God.
Belief that, in spite of all, God in
good, gives us courage, hope, cheer
and poise; it develops the higher side
of our life. Hence large natures have
faith.
Belief that there is no God. or that
he Is indifferent, to human suffering,
or banishing the 'idea of God as far
as possible out of our thought, in
variably stifles our better nature, and
we tend to grow gross and material
istic, to exaggerate the sensual pleas
ures, to doubt the binding nature of
moral convictions, and altogether to
coarsen ourselves and cheapen life.
Hence skepticism makes us small.
To believe that God Is unjust or ty
rannical makes men bitter, reckless
and unhappy.
A sane, well balanced man, there
fore, will seek to believe in a good
God and, although confused by the ex
istence of sorrow and wrong, will sus
pend his Judgment on this, knowing
that his vision is imperfect, thus
obeying the hint of Jesus:
"What I do thou knowest ' not now;
but thou shalt know hereafter."
The Ragtime Muse
Strategy.
I'd called on Olia half a year,
Most favored of her beaux.
Intending, when the coast was clear
Some evening to propose.
I was convinced I had her heart.
And yet I was afraid
She'd count it hardship Just to start
A home without a maid.
Perhaps she guessed this doubt of
mine -
She knew that I was poor
yet she Invited me to dine,
rAnd offered, as a lure.
To make me biscuits. 1 had said.
Nor dreamed that she'd recall.
How much 'I liked them other bread
Could tempt me not at all.
I promised gfed was I to go.
1 fancied how she'd look.
Her pretty hands all over dough,
A roost attractive cook!
That Was a feast! But best of all
The biscuits. Oh, I pray
When we are married in the fall
She'll bake them every day!
(Jetting Even With Ccdric.
From the Kansas City Star.
"Why are you so crazy to lake mud
baths? There's nothing the matter
with you."
"It's this way, doctor. I was brought
up in a lace collar and a Fauntlsroy
suit, and I always vowed that I would
get my share of playing In the mud
some day."
G
m caklt DATm"
By Frad Looklay. Spacfal Stiff Wrlta
Thm Journal.
Several years ago while In Portland.
Maine. I climbed the winding stair
way of the old wooden observation
tower on the hillside overlooking beau- 'I
iirui lasco bay. Captain Tibbits, an .
old-time sea captain, pointed out to ;
ms great Diamond Island, Long Island, i
Peak Island and the Whitehead pa
sage between Peak Island and Cushing
Island, to the northward Cousin's Is
land, Spindle Island, Clapboard Island,
Indian Point and old Fort Casxo and to J
the southward Portland Head Light, t
When ho learned that I was from
Portland. Oregon, he shook his head
sadly and said: "From all I hear th
Portland of the west has outdistanced v
Its namesake here In Maine. Thers
was a day when Maine bred the haull.'
est and ablest skinners in the world. To 1
be born on the Maine waterfront was , I
a certificate of seamanship. That day
has gono by; The old breed has about
died out. The young men of today go
west. When 1 was a boy, 60 years
ago, every young fellow with food rl
blood in his veins aspired to be the
skipper of a good craft. But the Amw
lean flag is no longer seen on, th
seas." -'. ... :;
As I talked to Captain Edward A 1-'
len NoyeB at his home at Twenty
second and Irving streets. In this City,
recently, I was vividly reminded vt J
my visit to the Maine coast. Captain
Noyes is one of the old breed of deepv
water sailors who hall from Mains.'.
"For 50 years my father. Captain Al
len Noyes, followed the sea," said '
Mr. Noyes. "He was a Searsport man
and if you know anything about ship
ping you know whut that means, for
Searsport on Penobscot bay in ths
old days was called the cradle of ship
masters. I was, born there about 80
yearsugo. There wa's a time when
little Searsport with its population , of
less than 20U0, furnished over 20 per
cent of the captains of the full rigged
ships flying the American flag. .
The earliest recollections of my
boyhood are of playing in the Sears
port shipyards. That little town with
a population of 1900 people had five
shipyards. Everything In Searsport tf
related directly to . ships or ship
ping. It was its one industry. Tbe,
men who worked in the shipyards were
mostly old time sailors who had served
as ship carpenters.
"My father started to sea at 1!
years. I started at 13. My: father
went to sea In the Plilneas Pendleton,
which was commanded by Phlneas J
Pendleton, the k rand rattier or rreu
Pendleton of this city. Phlneas Pen-
dleton was u name to conjure with in
the annals of the shipping Industry On
the Maine coast. There' was old Phln,
young Phln nnd young Phin's son Phln.
all deep water men and all thorough;
sailors.
"I made my first trip on the old
ship GarJbaldi to Melbourne,' AustrilU.
From Melbourne we went to Newcas--tie,
Australia, where we loaded with
coal for Hongkong. From Hongkong
we went to Bankok, Slam, for rice.
Coming back to Hongkong we 'loaded
with Chinese coolies lor Portland, Or. 4
We had 34 2 coolies aboard. I was night
watchman 'tween decks. We had
long trip. It took us 6S days front
Hongkong to Portland. The average
trip was 50 days. Under the English -
law you were required, if you sr.i.
after May 1, to provision and water
your ship for a 80 day trip if bound,
for Portland. Oregon or San Francis
co. Prior to May I you were required
to provision for a lonr.er trip. We left'
on May 1. The reason the klppers pre
ferred to wait until after the first of
May is that the monsoon season fn the
China sea is breaking p and on ac
count of the change of winds you are
apt to get a better slant, particularly
If you catch the southwest monsoon
wind.
'A firm of Chinese merchants chap
tered our htp. They chartered her,
her and provisioned her for a round ",
trip. They charged the coolies, wno.
were brought over about .$30 for thelc
paHsaue. The Chinamen were divided 7
into menBCH of Irom 1 to 12 to h .,J
mess, we rurnisneu mem a long eivei
firebox on one side of which were deep
cauldrons and on the othr cross bar
to serve as a crate on which they
could et their nkilleta and pans. We '
weighed out their food and measured
their water. Each man was allowed
three quarts of water a day for drink
ing, cooking and waKlilnflt purpose).
They each were allowed one ana nun,
poundK of rice, a half pound of "suit
fish or beef and one ounce of tea, TheyJ
got along very nicely except when
they cooked their meals. Then, there
used to be some lively fights. They
were vicious fighter. When a. cook
thought he ' was beiftg Imposed . upon
there would be a volley of Chinese .
followed by a rough and tumble fight ,
which soon spread to a dozen or score
or a hundred Chinamen. The only
way we could stop the rignt was to
have a couple of sailors man the brak4
beams of the force pump and hsve
the mate turn the hose on the-seelh--
ing mass of Chinamen. They did bate' ;J
to get drenched witn tne coia
water and it would break up the fight.
Seid Back, one of Portland's - best
known Chinese citizens, at that tlnm
a penniless coolie boy came over With .
us on one of our earliest trips, r
"I was 16 when I started to school
here in Portland. I went to a, gram
mar school of which Professor Lain a;
was head master. I,. B. Stearns,, Ed
ward Deady, William and Oeorge'Up
ton, Harry Montgomery and maiiy
other well known Portland citizens
were schoolmates of mine at that time.
After a year In school I went to China
in 1R72. From there I went back ,
to Maine, where I continued my stud
ies. Coming back to Oregon I worked '
for the war department on the Fuitt
Houed survey. From there I was -transferred
to the work In Oregon acid rail
the levels for the preliminary ; surrvey, ;
for the Cascade locks ana uemo iocxs.
General Mlchler was engineer in 7
charge, while K. E. Habersham, was
chief of our party. From the gov
ernment work I went to work on thu
river, working for the .old Oregon.
fe'team Navigation company, Fronj lUtO
to 1883 I was In charge of . their inter
ests at Astoria. During my work on
the river I piled from Oregon Citjr t
the upper Willamette above Corval
11s and also from Celilo to LewlstorL,'
Idaho. I was the first purser 'on , the
Harvest Queen, which ran from'-Celilo '
to Lewis ton.
"Other crack passenger boats In those
days were the Wide West which rsr be
tween Portland and the .Cascade
locks, the It. R. Thompson which had
the middle river run from the Cas
cades to The Dalles, and the Harvest
Queen, which plied between Celilo
and Lewlston. The first captain ; I
served under on the upper river was
Captain W. P. Gray on board the Al
mota. Later I "was With Captain
George Pease on the Dixie Thompson.
"I hope to live to see the day-when
once more the American flag will float
from the masthead of Amerieq-bullt
and American-owned vessels. When
my father was a young man he mad
every port on the Mediterranean and
Black seas and in those days the Amer
ican flag was known and respected In
every world port.'.
- HLi Forte.
"Is he a good lawyer?"
"I should say be is. - He's acquitted
some of our most notorious ' crimi
nals." :
i.