- THE OREGON DAILY. JOURNAL, PORTLAND. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1915. i. THE- JOURNAL ; v J AJf UDCFKKDKXT ftSWaraPI C. S. JACK SOW. . . . Sllblleaar FaMbbed ewy ear, afternoon and ewfoint tsxeept Saaday afternoon), at The Joarnal eilhUnr, areeeway ess) IiBklU eta Fort nd. Or. - , aatered at the pat office at Formed, O., tor miwUHoi throats tae ataUs aa eec4 tuts natter. XXUCPBOKES Ifala 71TS; Boom, i-9t n -. sapertssenta reached by these uabm. il the eparatoe trait deparfasmt yea want. - KCatlO ADTEBTU15Q aiPRESaXTATIVB SeoJaaiiB Keataor Co., Bmnmrlek Bid-. - m riftk in. Kw fork; 121S Peoples Gas BMc.. Chlesgo BobeeriptloB terms by tun er to any sd areas la tha Cnltad States or ataxies! - DalLZ OfOBIUMO OR ArTXKKOOH) Oae raar.. 43.00 One Bonta...... M BCSDAI Otw year.. 12.50 One moafa -M ; IAILX (MOBXIXO OR AFTRBH005) AKD BUN DA I Oaa rnr 7.50 I One month- i Ml IVM - l k m r - pm - America asks nothing for her elf but what she has a right to ask for humanity Itself. I WOODROW WILSON. Though I have been trained aa a soldier, and participated In many battles,- there' never was a time when. In my opin ion, some way could not be 'found to prevent the drawing of the sword. General Grant. 1 THE AUSTRIAN NOTE THE sharpest demand yet mado by Washington on any govern ment In the present war, is the note, to Austria over the sinking of the -Ancona. -The spirit of the "representation is' contained In -the closing sentences, as fol lows: '--As the good relations of the two countries must rest upon a common regard tor the law and humanity the government of the United States can not be expected to do Otherwise than to demand that the imperial and royal . government denounce the sinking of the Ancona as an illegal and Inde fensible act. that the officer who per- .- petrated the deed be punished' and the reparation by the payment of an in demnity he made for the citizens of the United States who were killed or injured by the attack on the vessel. 'The government -of tho United ; States expects that the Austro-Hun-garlan government, appreciating the gravity or the case, will accede to Its demand -promptly, and it rests this expectation on the. belief that the .Austro-Hungarian government will not sanction or defend an at which Is condemned by thetworid'aa Inhu mane; and barbarous which, is . ab horrent to all civilized nations and waica- nas caused the death ot inno cent American citizen. . Stripped of the language '.of di . plomacy, It is a plain announce ment that the United States will break off relations with Austria if the Austrian government doea not "denounce the sinking as an Illegal and Indefensible act" It is the first time during the war that" Washington has employed language so nearly approximating an ultimatum. The step was probably accepted at Washington as the final and un avoidable alternative. The ac tion of Berlin In agreeing to give passengers and crew time for es cape before sinking a vessel la proof 'from the viewpoint of ths central powers that Austria was admittedly wrong in her manner Of sinking the Ancona. Under the unwarranted and Indefensible ac tion of the Austrian submarine commander, and after Germany's full and -complete acceptance of .the principle of safety for non combatants at sea. It Is difficult tor aee how Washington could iavr assumed an attitude less resolute. Austria Is not likely to go to the length of a blunt refusal. By the action of her own ally In confess ing the Justice of the American - contentions, Austria cannot well re fuse, to disavow the responsibility for, the' Ancona affair. To do so would be to defy- the decent regard of all. mankind. It' would be de- . liberate ' choice of a course that is now accepted by all the world as wrong. . Even the madness and unreason of war is not likely to tempt her into such" a position. y ARE WE LOVED? - a-MERICAN composure was A turned a few days ago to ' hear from the Una of an eminent citizen that our -country ."was more disliked than any other in the world." In hia cptnlon our manifest Intention to reap all the advantage we possibly can from the war without subject ing ourselves to any of its dangers has made us appear ' contemptible to those' whose 'sons and fathers 'era; bleeding in the trenches. To the eminent citizen whom we have mentioned, this attitude is too rem iniscent of "embalmed beeT to be agreeable ' either at home or Abroad. The men who Jed our soldiers embalmed beef cared more .f or profit than for the welfare of their country. .Following their example argues the" gentleman In . Question w Americana in the present crisis of human affairs care more for proflts .lhaa for tha welfare , of jnanklnd." Richard Harding Davis. man . wh6"doea not "lack either power of observation or confidence His own judgment, tries to throw fresh light on the reason for. out world-wide unpopnUrltj. vHl ar ticle dealing ml th the snbjeet ap peared in the New York Tlin.ee. He speaks particularly of the feeling In France, oar ancient ally and hereditary friend. "Today." says Mr. Davis, the French "regard us with contempt. For one thing they felt the presi dent's famous neutrality letter to the American ' people aa . "an un warranted tlap in the-face." We hare sold a good deal of munition to our friends across the oea, but as they believe, we bave'not sac rificed our own Interest seriously in doing it. J ' There Is no doabt. that Europe an sentiment has - grown bitterly hostile to the notion of neutrality. The belligerents on both sides took upon their cause as that of the world's welfare and they can cot understand why a nation which has ideals to defend and princi ples to maintain should -not take a hand In the fight. The" people across the Atlantic are more in ac cord with Mr. Roosevelt's views than Mr. Wilson's. And. yet time, the infallible 'Judge, will undoubt edly decree that Mr. Wilson is right. GOOD TAXES AND BETTER SENATOR TILLMAN of South Carolina puts a common feel ing into words when he de i j a . , . . .i livers nimseti against me pro posed stamp tax on bank checks. He says that very person who has to lick a Btamp and affix it to his checks as he draws them will curse the party responsible for the Impost. No doubt. Direct taxes have a way of irritating those who must pay them. This is one reason why politicians so much prefer indirect taxes which suck the blood of the country without giving anybody a sight of the vampire. Indirect taxes have large, soft wings' with which they waft balmy tephyrs to the cheeks of the dreaming citizen, but they empty his pocket about as swiftly as the stamp taxes. The Immense value of direct tax ation Is that It keeps the citizen's mind fixed upon the public busi ness. When he has to sweat and groan for every penny he pays to the government he is not apt to loll away the moments in silken dalliance, while the money is being disbursed. Hence It Is that men who love their country and stand for Its real good prefer direct taxes. With all their Inconven iences and annoyances such taxes are at any rate honest, which never yet could be said of any indirect tax which had protection attached to it. And yet there Is a choice among direct taxes. Some, are far better than others. Congressman Rai ncy's proposed tax on beer is free from.evety ppsslble "objection. It Warsaw' a produt& which is, a luxury if not posiUvelfVdeleterious. It ' In no way hampers the course of business. It would yield a con siderable revenue. Mr. Rainey es timates its product at $33,00Q, 000. On the other hand a stamp tax on bank checks besides being a constant Irritant to the public, would seriously annoy business. Tt would diminish the utility of the banks by constantly tending to cur tail the use of checks. Ultimately this would mean ta heavier demand for currency. It may be that the public necessities make the stamp tax on bank checks imperative, but If the required revenue can be pro vided by some other direct tax, such as that on beer, it should be. A CHAIXEXGE TO PORTIiAND "F ROM Portland, Maine, to Portland, Oregon, all the seaports with the excep tion of New Orleans (and to a certain extent San Francisco) are facing a most serious problem in the matter of expansion and de velopment of harbor facilities." This Is a sentence from a speech by Mayor Behrman, of New Or leans, before the Rivers and Har bors Congress held recently at Washington, D. C. Mayor Behr man continued: All of these other ports have made the fatal mistake of permitting pri vate transportation corporations, or combinations of such corporations, to pre-empt all of their available water front. These privat agencies util lze their grants for their own private profit and without regard to (be gen eral progress and welfare, charging for the use of their facilities all that the traffic will bear, strangling com petition and . barring new or late coming lines from free access to the city. It Is an accurate statement of the facto. In Portland, even the foreshore, 'which in California is Inalienable to tha people, has, by one surreptitious step after ' an other, passed almost entirely under private control. Legislature after legislature slipped through stealthy jokers which nobody but a select few understood, and finally con summated the action that divested the" public of an almost priceless heritase. Even the attempt to pass a law to save the remnant for the public was voted .down at the polls. Mayor Behrman further eald: s . New Orleans is the shining excep tion to this bad rule of waterfront ownership - and control. Her people have never parted with the title to their harbor property. On the con trary, the people have not only pre served their' ownership Intact, .but through their government have util ized this common property for the benefit of general commerce, and not iur pnnit uiKrasxa, oy tne construc tion and operation of wharves and terminal facilities for use at a mini mum cost, and free to all alike who deaira to use them. In; the policy and practice of pnbllo ownership, con trol and operation of its waterfront facilities. New Orleans is far In ad- venoe of ' any other Amej-ieaa port, and it wHl require years 6f effort and millions of money before these other ports - eaa dislodge their op pressor, redeem their water line and place themselves In that status for operation and development in which our port stands today. , Portland, parents, by permitting their waterfront to slip away, have laid heavy burdens on their child ren and their dhlldren'a children: Those to come will ultimately be compelled to buy back what their own" forefathers thoughtlessly gave away.' LAWS AND LAWtERS THE 240 members of the new Massachusetts legislature come from 60 different callings, ml , L . . XI ll.i . ibb lawyers neaa uie ui m they always do In .mericanWegls latures, with 50 members. The farmers have -17, the manufacture ers 16 and the merchants 11. Other callings have sent three or four members each. No doubt a physician or two could bo drummed up among the legislators by a diligent inquisitor, and perhaps a minister. The Oregon legislature was once favored with the active presence of a bishop. The predominance of lawyers in our legislatures might be explained in either Of two ways. We might suppose that they were better In formed, more consecrated to the public weal and more diligent in serving their fellow men than other citizens. By this devoted zeal they have won the confidence of their neighbors who yoke up their wis dom and unselfish purposes to grind out the periodical grist of laws. ' Or we might suppose that the lawyers are more adept than other people in that sort of manipulation whiph leads to legislative seats and that they have purposes not always fully disclosed. These pur poses may relate to their own in terests or to the interests of opulent clients. Tho reader may take his choice between these suppositions. Very likely one of them is true some times and sometimes the other. It Is silly to deny that we have able and public spirited lawyers who delight to. serve the public. It is Just as silly to deny that we have compliant and mercenary lawyers who delight to serve the enemies of the public. In school and college .lawyer are brought up on abstractions. Their minds are fed with theories and their whole education , lays weight on words and minimizes the value of things, except, of course, that very momentous thing Indicated by the dollar sign. Their leadership In legislatures and In congress lends to our .'statutes a wordiness, a remoteness from practical affairs, a verbose com plexity, a einuouB avoidance of real issues, which have caused many good patriots to mourn. A leg islature composed of ten solid old farmers, a blacksmith, a coun try storekeeper and one emi nent lawyer would probably grind out better laws and fewer of them than we are used to seeing. THE AUDITORIUM 8 PORTLAND a self-governing I . city? iHave the sovereign people of public action, or is that authority reposed in a few self-constituted high-brow persons? Efforts to prevent the building of the auditorium naturally suggest the above queries. In June, 1911, the people by vote, ordered the auditorium built, and supplied the money. That was nearly four and one-half years ago, and not a shovelful of dirt has been thrown or a nail been driven. On one pretext and another ob stacles have been thrown In the way. The postponements have been eo numerous and frequent that peopl beginning to doubt the good e1th. of some of those who were pretending to act for the city. Thus, In his naming of the com mission, did Mayor Simon make selections favorable to an audi torium? Did he not rather name men who would be useful In final ly defeating the plan, and by their dilatory and unsuccessful action did they not well nigh bring about defeat? Is not the present agita tion to abandon the auditorium, now that there is a commissioner at the city hall who has the de termination to build It and la about to build It, a continuation of the dog-in-the-manger program insti tuted with the naming of the orig inal commission? If these sur mises are not all true, why have come who wore formerly ostensible supporters of the auditorium come cut in the open in opposition, espe cially on the eve of beginning ac tive construction of the building? Have not .the people of Portland the right to order their own af fairs? Or are there a few llttlo fathers who are the trustees and guardians of the public ' welfare, and who - know better than do the people aa to what is good for the people? "The vote for the auditorium was decisive. The election was regu lar, and the verdict was announced more than four years ago. Com missioner Baker can consult the election returns of 1911 and ascer tain just what that verdict was, and It should be his guide. - - Meanwhile, the comparatively small group of high-domed persons who assume that they pay the taxes and are Portland, do not pay the taxes at all and are not Portland. The people who work for them and bay from them, pay the taxes. Whenever ' the magnate pays ' his taxes herecoups it from hia em ployes and his patrons and the rest of the public by means that he understands so -well. It la the common people of whom Abraham Lincoln said God loved because he made so many- of them, that are the real bearers of the public bur dens. They, along with many wealthy people Toted to build the audi torium, and It should be built. FORT CRAILO GIVEN TO THE D. A. R. from the Chicago Herald. FORT CRAILO, one of the historic landmarks of New York stata, where, tradition records, that fa mous ditty "Yankee Doodle" was written, has been presented to ' the Daughters of the American Revolu tion in the state St New York. The announcement of the gift, which Is one of the largest ever received by a iatriotlo society In this country, was made at the recent annual conference of the state organisation. The house Is the oldest building In this country, associated with the early career of the Von Rensselaer family, established here nearly 300 years ago by Kllllan Van Rensselaer, the first patron of Rensselaerwyck. Originally this estate embraced a tract -of about 700,000 acres, with ex tensive frontages on both sides oi the Hudson river at Albany, includ ing all of the present cities of Al bany and Troy and a large portloa of Rensselaer, county, on the east bank of the river. Additional interest attaches to tha gift from the fact that it was given to the daughters by one of the sur viving descendants of the celebrated Dutch patron, Mrs. Alan ' H. Strong of Philadelphia, who, before her mar riage, was Mm a - Rnean Di Lancey Van Rensselaer. In accepting the gift the, Daughters of the American Revolution agreed to keep the house lln geod repair, and it probably will be used as the state headquarters of the organisation. It Is also contem plated to use It as a historical mu seum, for whlch the place Is well adapted, as Its associations are re plete with interesting Incidents con nected with the French and Indian wars and the Revolution. While erected by the Van Rensse laer family soon after the coloniza tion of their extensive grant In 1630 the house is also known in history as the Greenbush manor house, to distinguish it from the later Van Rensselaer manor house in Albany, built in 1765. The Greenbush house is in the old village of that name, on the east bank of the Hudson, a little below Albany. It sits back from the river bank about 200 feet, and is read 11 distinguished by passengers on the Hudson river boats. ' a . For more thaafitwenjy years vari ous efforts bave&eeei made to pre serve ' this landmark of the Dutch period from threatened destruction. At one time a bill was put before the New York legislature authorizing the purchase of the house, with ad Joining property, for 320,000. Then, for a short time, the Colonial Dames of America leased the house and made an attempt to raise 410,000 by subscription to buy It, but this like wise failed. At the time the prop, erty, which had remained in pos session of the Van Rensselaer family for more than 250 years, had passed out of Its ownership, and was con trolled by an Ice company, which contemplated tearing the house down and erecting a large icehouse on the river. To prevent Its disappearance Mrs Strong, who spent several years In trying to get some historical society to acquire the house, bought it with several adjoining Iota a short time ago, and by presenting it to the Daughters of the American Revolu tion assured the preservation of the place It marks one more of the in terestlng historical landmarks In New York state which, in the last few years have been saved from threat ened demolition. Including the Schuy ler mansion, bought by the statetwo years ago; the Morris or Jumel house In New York city, bought by the city of New York; Fraunces Tavern, the scene of Washington's farewell to his officers, bought ly the Sons of the Revolution a few years ago; the old senate house In Kingston, bought by New York state In 1887, and, go ing back still fuVther, Washington's headquarters at NewburghT which was th first purchase of the atato for historical preservation, In 1850. The Albany bicentennial committee in 1S8S placed a tablet on the Green bush manor house with the follow ing inscription: "Supposed to be the oldest house In the United States, and to have been erected in 1642 as a manftr house and place of defense. . Known as Fort Crallo. General Abercrombte's head quarters . when marching to attack Fort Ticonderoga in 1768, and where. It is said, at a cantonment east of the house near'the old well, the army surgeon, R, Shuckburg, composed the popular song of Yankee Doddle." " The traditional -date of the erection of the bouse, 1642, has been a source of considerable controversy by his torical scholars. Professor Van Leer, the New York state archivist, In his Investigation of the early records, states that there Is no clear evidence of the authenticity of that date. The first reference he finds to Fort Crallo Is 1662. In a notice of the digging of the well. He discovered in the Al bany archives a contract for building a' brick house In 1651 which, he ad mits, may" refer to Fort Crallo, but Its specifications ere 'Indefinite. ' The name Was ' given by William Van Rensselaer In commemoration of his large estate In Holland, known as Crallo er Craloo, literally "Crow's wood,' on the bank of the Zuyder Zee, a few miles from Amsterdam. Wlillam Van Rensselaer, the first patrooa, never cams to America, but he sent -out several of his sons with the Dutch colonists, and always took a keen Interest In the development of hi American estate. The' bouse, as It stands today. Is a massive brick structure, three stories high; with dormer windows on the third story and an attio with a shin gled roof. The rude, fortress-like walls of the main building clearly In dicate lta um in early colonial day as a fortress and place of refuge by the neighboring settlers from Indian uprisings. In the wall of the first story were portholes for firearms. Originally there were nine portholes, but most of them have been worn away. Additions to the house were made In 1708 and 1740, and about 1800 Jeremais Van Rensselaer made still further improvements, putting in new window frames in place of the small diamond panes, and Italian marble mantels In the library and dining- room In place of the early woodea ones. Letters From the People (OoBiDanleatlona tent to TSt Joaraal for publication la this department should b writ tea oa only oa aide of the paper, abeuis sot excaed 800 words la 4Df ta nod moat be ac companied br tha nam and addrrst of the gender. If tha writer doea nol deaira to save toe name pubuanea. Be anoais'ae elate.) "DtacnaKloa la the area teat of all reformer. It ratlooailaca every thlnS It touches. It rot principles of aU falea sanctity and throws tasta back oa taatr reasonableness. If thsr ha ae ressonablcDaea, it ruthlessly crushes them out of existence and sets ap lta own rooclusWas In thalr aissd.". Woodrov Wilson. " Money Ppwer and Preparedness. Portland, Dec. 11. To the Editor of The Journal. The power of might has ruled the World from the beginning of political government, therefore prepar ediess is a fundamental principle Of government necessary for protection from the aggression of competing gov ernments for a place in the sun. ' The false ethics that selfish inter est is the first law of nature must be supplanted by the knowledge of natur al law, that makes the common good the only good; instead of believing that the' power of might makes right, the truth must become common knowledge. that right makes might. The concrete remedy be made known and put into practical opera tion before the blessings of peace can possibly be realised. Give all men free access to the superabundant bounty of nature.. This will make t.ar as repug nant and criminal for nations as the duel for individuals. The law must Bj changed, ho longer giving the power of might supremacy, before statesmen will .be justified In abandoning pre par edness and depending solely upon treat- res. The people do not have anything to say about peace or war, because the Invisible government rules the rulers of all governments. All experts admit that if tne uniiea States should adopt the plan of the greatest expenditure proposed tor mill tsry armament and 'organisation, our a. my and navy would still be no match xoi either of the belligerent group- in the European war; and It would be possible, and not at all Improbable, for circumstances to arise that would precipitate war upon this countay and possibly end democracy in the United States. The universal custom among nations in the past, of dividing up the posses sion of the earth, has been a matter of course. It has been done nominally by treaty, and the shares distributed in proportion to the military Btrengtn ot the treaty powers. But whenever any one nation becarns powerful enough It has always ruled the world. His tory might repeat Itself In the twenti etlr century. If a military genius like Alexander .or Napoleon should arise. Therefore all talk about peace is silly The sold standard makes all obliga tions payable in gold coin, and all gold coin disappears from circulation In a Danlc. which Is equivalent to destroy lrg the value of all other wealth, as no otner wealth can legally dlsotoarge a debtor's obligations. The gold stand ard creates the "invisible government that can nullify any law or custom at will by letting fall the bolt of panic to paralyse all industry. Scientific mcr.ey Is the absolutely essential rem edy that will make credit ana prosper ity perpetual and destroy every vestige of money power. war uei aaw tlons will be an utter impossibility and there would be no longer any ques tion of preparedness, as the perfect remedy will end all war in tne worm. Peace and Preparedness. Portland. Nov. 11. To the Editor of The. Journal- A great deal has been said about peace conferences, and as there Is now one on me way, ii i that it will accomDllah Its purpose. However, we hould not forget that men have been lighting .nntii all alonir the lines of hu man life, snd that human nature Is the same toUay as it was in vne uecm .nj that rh armies and navies U.S3, - ot the different nations are uving evi-that- show how little confi dence men have In one anotner. witn .ki. i. think tha United States o'.r.ri nucht to build a navy superior to that of any other nation, with an army available at any time that could defeat any invasion in ine uunwi crn Q- that mleht be made. Ubci.ua - The people of tne unuea states ue- i nnn with a 1 1 niuou niiu uiona .v- v.mnA nt friandshlo. while they iua - - - .K..rfmiir win indorse the course tak en by President Wilson In an etfort tn incur wnat tney ciaim ey ur lustlv entitled to, and that Is home pi o tec tion. jaauui w. wu'in. Discusses ir. Ford's sllssion. Vancouver, Wash., Dec. S.- To the Editor of The journal xour eaiwnaj in today's Journal, regaraing' air Ford's ' peace mi salon is opportune,' Any manner or aiiempi o wcuf hnuM not .be held In ridicule. f however am ons of many who be li.v. that air. Ford's effort, though highly commendable, will be unavail ing Mr. rora aoes not auia cunox ap neai to the various classes In Europe to which one must appeal, in order to secure attention. While in England some years ago I found three perfectly defined and ac cented social castes, as zouows: The, aristocracy, consisting of ao biutv. Deerage and wealth of long standing;. the intellectual and cultured class, consisting of those who fallowed professions;- the laboring class.. I fall to see how Mr. Ford can appeal to 'or Interest- any ' one of these castes sufficiently to secure their attention to any marked" degree. ' He may excite their ' curiosity, but I ' feel this will not further -his- cause. Xr, Frd Is neither aristocrat. In tell actualist nor laborer.' "To the "people of England he la a -nondescript, ""He Im a capitalist. PERTINENT COMMENT SMALL CBAMGB Secretary Lanaine'e note doesn't read aa though Uncle Sam is afraid. Ra far Mm Hmmih t Mtj.tt i -v. wwm mm w .. w . xw.. Sessman Kalney can go as far as ue ;es with his proposed, tax oa beer. bluff at suicide realised too late, if at alL the revolver's, dansrar to lta nnt. sessor. a a Whan ttlm. ...ffMri.L ...I IV. ar 000 la &0 minutes to finance their na- "uu impaign, it looss as inougu they mean business' a a Candidates for the presidency have flocked to Washington to be handy " u myuuncan national commit tee gets down to business. a e uiu( tiuucea me aan Francisco exposition's prise rose, it is now ii n ri pami.. . ... v. . roses full possibilities. a a Annthaf tVln. Ka r-k . .-a, vnun uuuaioi i ku ""stu wm m si longer as v.uM.iuuaa iw array oiiicers than it would If spilt up Into kindling wood. Submarines, which hit below the r - "urrjini secretary Dan- ---- f um iuta iouna n easy to survive a lot of such at tack a fieTsri4L tfHW Cti mKa1 aa I Kill J Mt i Ki "-- iroviuiistg' Orfron tfc CaliXornU grain Unds con- that Rnnthawi-n 4i. k .L I I a---- a saviuu MVTVU far UI (J sxa ucaa. Raflf Arlmlpal tr-i 4 as-K a V. a - aaiuau, aa J b in a AZIltsr 1 CM n nS Vv B ao H(eaHn mm.. . I j a. a- tZl j J 7 V1 am-aiiwn wuuifl urCAK uown in the vent of war. Perhapa uq awiuw-r, dux in raci remains tnat Our navy ha done firat rate whenever THAT OLD CURE-ALL, From the Salem Journal. The three congressmen from this state, Slnnott, Hawley and McArthur, all find fault with the suggestions made by the president In his message as to the manner of raising revenues; all insisting that the only proper way to get money for the general govern ment Is through the tariff. Congressman Slnnott goes even fur ther, and Insists on the replacing of the tariff on wool, thus making, as he expresses It, "the foreigner pay for our defense. It is passing strange how any intel ligent man, and such Mr. Slnnott cer tainly is, can make such sn assertion, for he certainly knows that the tariff is not paid by the foreigner, but by tho American consumer. The foreigner does not, even as a general thing, im port the goods on which the tariff is paid. This is done by the American wholesaler, who pays the tariff when the goods are landed, but he does not forget to pass the cost on to St ha re tailer, and. the latter passes it on to the consumer. Congressman Slnnott knows this, none" better, and belittles himself and Insults the intelligence Of his constituents in making the state ment. - a It is evident also that be does not keep posted on the wool question, or on the position taken by the wool grow ers, who, at a recent convention held in Pendleton, pronounced the tariff on wool of no benefit to the wool grower, and admitted Just what the Democratic and some Republican papers have for years Insisted on, that it was not for eign competition that Interfered with the wool market, but rags. It was asserted by them that there was only wool enough raised In this country to make 27 per cent of the goods sold in the markets as all wool, and which were, instead, shoddy. v who has gained wealth through and from the effort of the toller. In the second place, the movement will be considered a pure type of American "reform." This alone would kill it in England. The movement Is commendable and its object is praiseworthy, but the wrong delegates have gone. Had a few delegates gone to whom at least two of the castes of England would have listened, much might have been accomplished to prepare the way for peace. The two olasses whose atten tion must be secured are the laboring and the Intellectual. The aristocrat cuts no figure His function Is to pay war tax. Had It been possible to send sucb men as Dr. Charles Eliot, Samuel Gompers, Colonel Goethals, Jack Lon don and Eugene V. Debs there is Jio doubt that far-reaching results might have been obtained. Biwh rilsatlon would assuredly have appealed to the man In thai trenches and also to tne directing power of the nation, the Inteil actual ists. These two castes can continue or . . , K- - a thalr will 1 am confident that those who could ' appeal to tne important classes oi cng iin rnuM aiao anneal to correspond ing classes In Germany. J. HAROLD. Questions Modern Ways. Oswego, Or Dec 11. To the Editor tor of The Journal In reading The Journal I notice with great surprise the new wsy of raising infants, which Is to put the child Into a . basket or baby cart and make him lie down flat on his little head, put him outside on the front porch, and let'hlm cry. Do not run to him when he cries or you will spoil the child. The mild nights do not affect the little one; the win ter nights, are Just the kind for It. Never mind the clothes; If the little one Is cold, no matter; he Is getting hardened to the weather. If bis little bands are numb or cold, that is a sure sign he will be able to stand any clim ate and will grow to be a strong and healthy boy, will never need a doctor and will not need much clothing when he grows for he never had any use or it when he was small. So that is a new rule the Congress of Mothers puts out. If he passes a test and can come up to 98 Or 100 per cent, he Is a wonder, and rat it la true that people will do this very thing' and. strange to say but true, you will find the pet poodle dog near the stove or on the bed, while the tittle angel must remain outside and abide by the new rule how to raise a child to gain 100 per cent. .. ARTHUR McVBT. Grammar In Schools. EUverton, Or., Dec. 11. To the EdU tor Of The Journal In a recent Issue The Journal commented favorably on the suggestion ot a New York prin cipal that formal grammar be eradi cated .from the public school a As an excuse the assertion was made that the grammar, taught was only the theory of correct speaking; that It re quired practice and the use of years to properly expresa one's thoughts. Admitting this. X would say that tne wrong Idea Is expressed. We do not teach arithmetic In the schools that the pupil may get the right answer to aa example, but to teaeb the pupil bow to do the problem, or in other words, the theory of ths things ' - The Journal ' alao said that eorrect speaking was not taught in conjunction with the theoretical rules of grammar. In this 'The Journal is very much mis taken. In tha public schools gratnarJ. AND NEWS IN BRIEF OREGON SID ELI G UTS The asuDeriatendents of the various Sunday schools of Albany are arranging- for a community Christmas tree lor uae neeay or mat city. m w The nuhllc echooi enrollment at Band has Increased by 141 since the opening in September, and now stands at 12. ia-ung tne capacity ot existing ouuu lngs to accommodate. s One hundred and forty-five pupils of the L&n county schools succeeded In obtaining 100 per cent In the first spelling contest of the present school year, which was held throughout th county In November. a The Dalles Chronicle records the bringing in of the pelt of a white coyote, for county, by Charles Deckert. who killed the freakish beast near The DeJlea An old resident la quoted as stating that many years ago a white coyote was captured in Wasco county. Earnest adjuration addressed by Sea side Signal to Seaside business men: "The Federation of Women's clubs will meet In Seaside during the summer of 11(. If reports are true, there will be about $60 ladles present. Merchant a govern youraelves accordingly. Get a new broom, flypaper and covers for your eatables, that we may welcome this prominent organisation to Seaside without that 'sneaky feeling.' Lrfit'e show the ladles a spotless city." s s Weather In tha valley of the Rogue, aa graphically reported In the Med ford 8un of last Saturday: "Friday was a chill, bleak day. with a touch of winter In the air, in wide contrast to the bright, warm sunshine of Thursday. It looked like snow. The black flar of rain flew from the weather pole Mora snow fell in the hills Thursdav night, and Mmint Wagner 1 taking on a coat of white. The snow fall Is two weeks late this year. The farmers have their fall plowing well In hand." THE TARIFF The wool growers, instead of asking for a tariff, decided to ask such legis lation as would compel the manufac turer! and dealers In woolen goods and their substitutes to label their prod ucts eo that they would ke sold for what they were, whether wool or ahod dy. When this Is done, the price of woolen goods will be higher than it haa been, and the price of ahoddy. when it is known and sold as such, will falL It is only by traveling under the name Of wool that the eastern manu facturer has been able to hold the con sumer up for the price of wool when he was selling him the cast off rags of the pauper laborers of Europe made over for American consumption. Thousands of tons of these rags are Imported every year, and, after being worked over by the thrifty down-easter are good enough for the American, who Is paying a tariff on wool to further help the schemes of the s shoddy vaaker. a a As a matter of. fact. It matters not how the money is raised to carry on the government, whether by tariff or direct taxation, the consumer pays the bill. And, as for high tariff as a revenue producer, as long as the war continues the Idea Is absurd, since our Import have been practically cut off. There could be no material revenue from this source, since practically no foreign goods are coming In. Of course. Con gressmen Hawley and Slnnott know this to be true, and even McArthur ought to grasp the idea In st least a haty kind of a way. The war Is acting now like a tariff wall against foreign commerce; so high, that It is almost prohibitive. If we want to raise money at this time for government .expense. It must come from some other source than duties on xn ported .goods be cause there, are no imports to speak of cal errors, both in writing and speech, are corrected. On our grammar text books common errors are Itemised and corrected. The following is an exact quotation from the present day gram mar. "To be learned: A pronoun is a word that is used Instead of a noun. The antecedent of a pronoun Is the worJ ror which it atanda" "Exercise: Select all the pronouns In the following sentences, and tell the antecedents of each." The books go on to explain. "Pro' means "for," and "pronoun" means "for a noun." What could be plainer than this? The idea of schools Is to teach the theory the students have all their life to practice The student may leam that to say, "Bob has went to town," is Incorrect, but out of school he will not readily learn the reason why It is not. If the doctor orders us not in do a certain thing we will obey much quicker If we know the reason. In g rammer, as in law, we learn the the ory first, and then apply it to an actual or concrete case. I real lie that I may have made grammatical errors, and mistakes In spelling, but for an excuse I mention the fact that I never passed the Sixth grade In the primary schools. P. A LINSCOTT. The Century Plant, Vancouver. Wash., Dec 8. To the Editor of The Journal I would like to know if the century plant blooms only after It has attained 100 years. My wife has one which U blooming, but as it came Into her possession some 10 years Lgo, and was quite a plant at that time, she has no Idea how old it Is. C. B. SHAW. Most species are slow in attaining maturity, and some have never bean known to flower. It was formerly generally believed that the plant bloomed when a century old. but this is erroneous. Its flowering period, however, is a matter of years, the number depending on the climate Vt the locality where the plant Is grown. Climate of the Garden of XSdea, From the Christian Herald. The chief peculiarity about Kurna is that the natives believe the place where they live is the exact site of ths Garden of Eden. The climate of Kuroai is acknowledged to be the most trying in all the world. The heat Is terrific in the summer time It Is cliimed thst tha British government has a record of 151 degrees in ths shade upon the bridge of a boat an chored in th river at Busreh, a little to the south. The missionaries at Busreh tell of nights when the ther mometer registers not less than 1Z0 and 12S degrees. British sailors bound for the Persia gulf in the summer time usually desert. If they can. Per haps in Artxona the thermometer rises nearly as high; but there th, air is dry. while In the Persian, gulf it Is ex ceedingly moist. The Europeans at Buareh must pass the days In under ground chambers, or ser daubs, while a native boy pulls a huge fan. or pun kah, suspended from the ceiling, to keep the air In circulation. The nights are spent on the roof, for it Is Impos sible to teep below. In the winter time the air seems exceedingly eold, for ths marshes are filed with salt; and as the wind sweeps over ths plain the moist ' salt air Is peculiarly pene trating. Frequently the Arab, be numbed by the cold, .falls -from his horse, -. Tt,conce over NOT LONG AGO a week ago Sat urday 1 think it was there was " printed in this kollum some verses by my brother Ben entitled "A Water ; Tank Confidence." flAnd they" were written aa thaurh one hobo waiting for the next freight was talking to another. and telllna- him hnur Than Thi a home and his girl and his Job. and became a wanderer. JAnd he said that tha winds of the world called him, and the wanderlust took htm. and he had to go. , TAnd of course back yonder he left his mother. and perhaps he doean t m-rlte to her. and perhaps she thinks him dead only mothers don't think that until long after everyone else has given up hoe. JAnd one of those mothers i don't know her name only her i-.:ttals I M. S. has written me a note. and it's about her boy who west away. JAnd she says he is Wandering sbe knows not where. but ever end ever she prays that the God who marka the spar row's fall will keep him wherever he strays and bring him safe back home to hei at last. JAnd she signs herself "A Lonely Mother waiting watching and pray ing for her boy." v JAnd in her note there is a little poem which she calls " The Lure of ti e Winds." and it runs like this: , The winds of the world blew sweet, lad. And called your feet to stray From the narrow path of duty and love Into sin's broad highway; You turned from the friends .hat loved you, Tou hearkened tha call of the wind. You followed, uncaring, unheeding The hearts you left bleeding behind. The winds from the outside called you. With promise of freedom and Jcy; In a home gone dark with your ab sence Your mother kent watch for her boy. And listened with ears that were throb bing For the footsteps ber heart held eo dear. While the winds 'round her oottage were sobbing With voices of sorrow and fear. The winds that with wild mad surges Called you to tha world's highways. Fir her have the sound of dirges As with heart that Is breaking she prays For Ood to watch o'er the wanderer 'Mid the world's mad str-lfe and Its sin. And with tender love to gather The poor, loat wanderer in. T And there are a few more lines In which she says aha hopes :n God's own time to have her boy again. aj And of course I don't know w'ho Is going to read thla. but there'll be a lot of fellows who haven't written to their mothers for a long time. fjAnd I don't feel that I'm quali fied to advlae anyone but J LISTEN Boys It's nearly Christ mas and I don't know any better time to write a letter Jo the old folka. . "The Third Ingredient," We are indebted to Nell Dawson for a mees of hog liver. If iwraeone will donate -the onions we'll have a feast. Drewsey Pioneer Sun. Another Expose, Ktntis City Ktar. "Old friend Sam Blythe. for tr.e entertainment of his reaflera con sents sgain to show tfrnt he knows no more about the presidential lineup than anyone else." says Ma jor Pennington Trenchant, and then adds with a sigh, "and he gets real money for it, too." s . NeTertheles". A Perry now flaunta his nam above the smoke of the Smudging Pot kollum of the Medford Sun. '.j Ilia complete name Is Arthur Ooff don Perry. f a I' He discarded the middle initial be cause ko many people thought it stood for Grouch. That Is, people who knew him. It Improves his stuff to have bis cognomen suspended above It s s It fixes the blame, so to speak, s However, I have a further improve ment to suggest as It Is nothing less than a new name for the kollum. s s Why not call It the Perry-scope? Storier ' of . Street5$)TowrL Details Were Misleading. MRS. HENDERSON Is the genial host at Crown Point Chalet, on the Columbia river highway, but she Is out of temper with the Chicago Tri bune. Here follows the reason: Mrs. Marshall Field, wife of Chi. cago's merchant prince, vlalted Oregon last summer, toured the highway and ate some of Mrs. Henderson's famous fried chicken. Her appreciation we so great that She sent Mra. HenderavVn a check for 1100. When she had re- turned to Chicago she was interviewed' by the society reporter of the Tribsnaj' a writer who evidently thinks the west- Is only Indians, broad plains, high trees and terrifying peaks. At Spy rate, this writer sketched a scene tat no one would ever ore am oi in connflOn tion with the highway, said that Mts Henderson was gray haired, when mb won't be for eoma years, and dee nated a rival Inn as the place wbea-s, Mrs. Field enjoyed the fried chicken,, "All thoae Chicago people will -baH coming out to Oregon after that Writer, us; and they won't know low to fiaa, mwmm tn c.Tawn Point" mourned. U. - 'M Mrs. Henderson. a At Home Anywhere. ied WJ. KERR is president of OregesK . Agricultural college. Wbetnert this fact has anything to do with It oa not, he boasts there is not a mors-: adaptable man in Oregon. -a "If I go to. a hotel," he said recenUsw tn, a oertv of friends, "and find they've only a cot In the hall, I sleep as cor, fortably as in a luxurious bed.-' If ti only means of transportation Is a mul I travel e-mule-back, and am glad have this means of reaching myidest.-j nation.- If it's boiled cabbage end pH tatoes Instead of more costly food, I reflect upon the advantages this at has In the production -of . plain r , wholesome . . mainstays ox diet. . i s maintaining this frame ot mind, Z fji. myself Immune from any tendency ws by a kicker or a anocKer.