The Oregon daily journal., January 21, 1917, Page 3, Image 3

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THE OREGON SUNDAY 'JOURNAL, PORTLAND. SUNDAY MORNING. JANUARY 421. .1017.
SECTIONAL ISSUES
IN SENATE
E
Gallinger and Sherman Would
Reduce Southern Repre
sentation. ARGUMENTS ARE FAULTY
Statisticians Present rig-ores la Large
Bambtn That Appear Convincing
Before They Are An all a,
Washington, Jan. 20. (WASHING
TON BUREAU OF THE JOURNAL)
Renewed activity toward discussion of
aectional issues Is manifested in Re
publican circles. Through the Gallin
ger resolution looking toward a com
mittee to report on reduction of south
ern representation in congress, through
the Sherman resolution to the same,
effect, and through the agitation being
conducted by a Chicago morning news
paper, is seen a purpose by the minor
ity party to embarass the administra
tion by charging favoritism toward the
south.
This charge was heard in the last
campaign. It was freely indulged in
ly the Republican national committee
and even by the presidential candidate.
It seemed to make no hit with the
voters. Back of the renewal of this
. line of campaign by the Republican
leaders lies resentment that has gath
ered force since the result was an
nounced In November.
Methods Used Declared Unfair.
To bolster up the charges some un
usual arguments are urged. One fre
quent method, the one pursued by the
Chicago newspaper, is to compare some
Ktato of the north with some state of
the south in the amount of income and
other direct taxes it has paid, then to
compare the Kllrect appropriations
made for public purposes in each
state, ami finally to compare the total
vote and representation in congress.
These methods of striking a balance
sheet between different states have
been denounced by southern senators
Os unfair and full of prejudice. Sen
atorOllie James pointed out that in
ternal revenue taxes on liquor credited
, to Kentucky ar in fact paid by the
consumers of liquor all over the coun
try. Because the south happens to be
comparatl vly poor, it was declared, and
lias few rich men to pay Income taxes,
it should not be deprived of federal
appropriations.
The Tariff and the Hegro.
The discussion of the subject inevi
tably comes back to two underlying
questions, the tariff and the negro. The
Republicans say they would raise
money for support of "the government
by the tariff route, and would lift
the burdens of income and internal
revenue, taxation, which bear most
heavily on the north, where the biggest
profits arc made, and the biggest in
comes are found.
Then comes the question of the ne
gtJ . involved in the resolutions to re
iW5fl southern representation, on the
g:?5sRuid that the right of -sufrage has
been denied or abridged by various
devices. As a matter of fact, the south
Isjnot the only offender In reducing
itfcB vtte by restrictions upon the fran
chise.' Twenty-eight states are said
to have property or literacy qualifica
tions of one variety or another.
Comparison of the vote cast by Ore
gon and the vote of South Carolina, for
Instance, are made in statements sent
in the Oregon representatives by the
Chicago newspaper, omits consideration
or tne ract mai Oregon is a woman
ruffrage state, and the further fact
that the vote in the southern states
turns out for the primaries, rather
than for the general election.
Conditions over which the south has
n control have made it firm in al
legiance to one political party, and the
result of the general election is so
sure that no effort is made to poll a
full vote. The Incentive for a large
vote is then removed, and statistics
fiends are thus able to make a great
nhowlng in comparison with the states
of the north, especially by choosing
states where woman suffrage has prac
tically doubled the vote of the north
ern state.
Townsend Exacts Vengeance.
General debate on the Myers water
power bill in the senate began in a
snarl. Townsend of Michigan, miffed
over the displacement of his bill to
create a civil war officers' retired list,
took up a filibuster in the form of re
quiring at the outset that the bill and
the reports made upon it should be
read in full.
Usually this waste of time is saved
by unanimous consent, but Townsend
insisted that all should be read, so
for hour after hour the clerk droned
over the lines. Senator Walsh, in
charge of the bill, sought in vain to
have some of the citations and letters
included in the reports omitted. At
REVIVED
IN Ml
50LUINS
y joyment by scores of the city's
iS'O 1 'I smart set. We extend a cordial
welcome to, all.
Wffvs-o Weekday Evenings pfP
or Service a la Carte, iff
I Sundayleo Dinner ffl
one point he called attention to the
fact that only five Republican ; sena- j
tors were tn their seats.
Townsend gravely stated that he
thought it should all be read, and the
clerk spent some time struggling
through tbrilling paragraphs loaded
with legal citations. The Michigan
man evidently was well satisfied with
his revenge, as the reading consumed
a large part of two days.
In, addition to Townsend and a few
others disposed to adopt all means for
delay in their power, on account of
the volunteer officers' retired pay bill,
there is more formidable filibustering
strength in the coterie headed by
Smoot of Utah and Thomas of Colo
rado, who are opposed to any legisla
tion that permits federal control of
water power leases on the public lands.
Walsh had a hard fight to get the
water power bill before the senate. He
has a bigger Job to keep it there and
pilot it to a successful vote. After
that Is done, will come the uncertain
ties of conference over the differences
between the bills passed by the two
bouses.
Owea Creates Stir.
Senator Owen of Oklahoma created
more than an ordinary breeze when he
offered in the senate a resolution pro
posing that justices of the supreme
court of the United States be turned
out of office if they insist upon de
claring laws passed by congress un
constitutional. "The only authority which has the
right to declare a law constitutional is
the congress of the United States,
was the doctrine he proclaimed. It
produced deep disgust in the breasts
of many of the other senators, and
Sherman of Illinois was moved to re
mark: "Anything will receive careful con
sideration In thig body, and the more
ridiculous it is the more apt it is to
receive favorable consideration."
Smith of Michigan said he had never
In his life seen anything so grotesque,
and about the only comfort Owen re
ceived was from Vardaman of Missis
sippi, who said the Owen idea is not
novel or new, and that in his opinion
had the constitution definitely con
ferred upon the supreme court the al
most despotic power it now exercises,
few of the states would ever have rati
fied it.
Jealous of Power.
The move made by Owen is in fact
a protest against the power used by
the supreme court to overturn the leg
islative will, the power held by nine
men in overruling the acts of 96 others
in the senate, 435 others in the house
of representatives, and the president
of the United States added for good
measure, none of whom, it may be as
sumed, would enact a bill they believed
unconstitutional.
"I am not willing to yield the sov
ereignty vested In the people and in
their representatives In congress, says
Owen. I think it is against a wise
public policy to permit this. It makes
It impossible for the people ever to
know what the law is according to our
written statutes if we allow this Ju
dicial control. It introduces an ele
ment of confusion and uncertainty in
the meaning of laws, and makes it
impossible for the people with certain
ty to determine questions of public
policy."
Close Watch Is Kept
On Thaw's Condition
Police Take no Chance Recovery May
Be Delayed Purposely as Maneuver
to Gain Mora Time.
Philadelphia, Jan. 20. (U. P.) The
police are taking no chances on Harry
K. Thaw's recovery from his self-inflicted
razor slashes being purposely
"delayed" as a maneuver for time, It
became known here tonight.
One of the half dozen police sur
geons attached to the detective de
partment pays a visit to the Pittsburg
millionaire's room in St. Mary's hos
pital at least every other day. This
physician makes a careful examina
tion of Thaw's physical condition. Cap
j tain or ueiecuves rate nas aeciarea
I that so soon as the would-be suicide's
J condition permits, he will be taken to
Central station
Mrs. Mary Copley Thaw was back
at her son's bedside tonight.
Thaw's condition was unimproved
tonight. Physicians say his recovery,
of which outwardly at least they seem
assured, will be very slow. The
drowsy state in which he has laid
since January 11, when he attempted
to kill himself, has disappeared, phy
sicians said.
Evacuation to Be Demanded.
Chicago, Jan. 30. (U. P.) The
Labor (Socialist) party of Belgium has
declared against any international So
cialist peace conference to end the war,
until Germany has evacuated France
and Belgium.
Duke of Atholl Dies.
London, Jan. 20. (I. N. S.) The
Duke of Atholl, one of the biggest
landowners in Scotland, died today.
aged 76. He owned upwards of 200,-
000 acres.
West Front Remains Quiet.
Berlin, via Sayville Wireless, Jan.
Z0. tu. P.) Tonight's official state
ment merely reported "No Important
events" on the west front.
NOTE L
EAKI
TO SHIFT HEARINGS TO
WAIL STREET VICINITY
Indications Point to Thorough
Examination Into Work
ings of Stock Exchange,
NEXT MEETING TUESDAY
Attorney Whipple to Take Up work
and Determine Coarse Which in
quiry Will Take la the rata re.
Washington. Jan. 20. (U. P.) The
note leak Investigators resume their
hearings Tuesday in New York at a
spot within a few stone throws of Wall
street itself.
Meeting in the custom house, they
will delve into the innermost processes
of Wall street action during the few
days preceding publication of the pres
ident's note to belligerents."
The investigators will try to estab
lish definitely, once for all, whether
there was a leak, and, if so, whether
some of the money kings harvested
golden millions by advance informa
tion. Sherman I.. Whipple, Boston attor
ney, formally aocepted by the commit
tee, today, will go to New York late to
night or tomorrow as a vanguard, and
also commander-in-chief at the board
of strategy. He will select the first
victims of the committee.
Mrs. Ruth Vlsconti, introduced to
the public by Thomas W. Law son. and
who promptly took the center of the i
stage from him, may be a witness
there or may testify here when the
committee returns, but before she is
heard, much of Wall street, including
J. P. Morgan and other prominent fi
nanciers, will be examined.
Attorney Whipple stated tonight he
hasn't decided what witnesses he will
put on. First, he will look around, ha
said, and then will announce th pro
cedure. That transfer of hearings to
New York means a thorough investi
gation, with books and papers of
Wall street and with expert account
ants to examine them, is certain.
Whipple tonight said he was new,
admitted that he has a large assign
ment and said he would have to look
around before be issued any state
ments. Coast Chambers for
Daylight Saving Bill
Membership of Association to Be In
creased by Inviting the Smaller
Tidewater Cities' Organisation,
San Francisco, Jan. 20. (P. N. S.)
The Associated Chambers of Commerce
of the Pacific coast, assembled in their
ninth annual meeting at the San Fran
cisco Chamber of Commerce today,
went on record unanimously in favor
of the "daylight saving bill" now pend
ing before congress.
AH chambers of commerce through
out the Pacific coast states, -were
urged to take action approving the
bill.
The membership of the 'associated
chambers will be automatically en
larged to a considerable extent through
the execution of resolutions adopted,
inviting numerous smaller tidewater
cities to affiliate with the organisa
tion. Stockton, Sacramento. Eureka.
Monterey, San Luis Obispo in Cali
fornia; Astoria in Oregon, and Belllng
ham, Everett, Port Angeles and Aber
deen in Washington will be Invited to
Join.
Following are the officers . elected
for the coming year:
Frederick J. Koster, San Francisco,
president; T. H. Rhodes, Seattle, vice
president; C. W. Burke, San Francisco,
secretary.
Lewis Aims to Get
Public Work Bids
State Engineer In Beport Urges Statute
to Prevent Collusion Among Con
tractor In Submitting Estimates.
Salem. Or., Jan. 20. A conspiracy
statute with suitable penalties to pre
vent collusion among contractors In
submitting bids for public work, and
a provision which will assure the let
ting of bids on a basis of direct price
competition between patented and un
patented pavements, are two important
recommendations for a new road law
made by State Engineer John II. Lewis
in his report.
The report is now In the hands of
the state printer and Mr. Lewis ex
pects to have It ready for distribu
tion early next week. He declare
such a measure would have teeth
enough to give the people control of
highway work.
The conspiracy provisions, he says.
would compel actual and open com
petition among bidders for highway
contracts.
"In the reported recommended," said
Mr. Lewis today., "where patented
materials or processes are used upon
public work, it shall be only after
direct price competition with unpat
ented products of similar character."
Successful Raid Is
Made by theUritish
Mutual Artillery Tiring Worth of
Somme, Dispersal of Enevy Work
ers and Effective Shelling Xeported,
, London, Jan. 20. (U. P.) A suc
cessful raid of German positions east
of St, Bloi, accomplished by British
troops on Friday night, was announced
tonight by Field Marshal Sir Douglaj
Haig.
North of the Somme, the British
commander-in-chief said, to the right
of the allies' line, there was mutual
artillery firing.
"Northeast of Neuve Chapelle," the
statement continued, "we dispersed
enemy workers and in the neghbor
hood of La Bassee canal and southeast
of Boise Grenier we effectively shelled
enemy positions."
Explosion Kills Orchardist. v
San Jose. CaL, Jan. 20. (P. N. S.)
Rasmus -Jorgeneon, wealthy orchard
ist, .of Madrone, 10 miles south of
here, was killed this afternoon by the
explosion of a sack of dynamite which
he was carrying. The body was badly
mutilated.
Diplomatic Papers Stolen.
Pari,; Jan. 20. ( I. K. S.) Diplo
matic papers In the safe of the United
States consul at Algiers were atolen
on Tuesday night, says a dispatch to
the Mata today., 3 - , . ,
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4 ays
Starting Today
Doors Open 10:30
Early Attendance Requested
the laugh man-he gets an unexpected
kiss and then well there are more
thrills more complications more
pretty girls -more pretty scenes and
daring feats than usual in this latest
Fairbanks play-- A merican Aristocracy.
Of course there is a love interest with Fairbanks as
the hero-lover and Jewel Carmen as the girl
Anita Loos wrote the titles read them there is a
laugh in every line.
The Theatre
A GAIN we start the week with thrills
of joy with a Columbia bill de
luxe the kind that has won us the large
and loyal patronage of the ( Portland
public We also show., a government
approved Educational and Scenic
Canadian Irrigation projects.
Jensen & Von Herberg, Managers
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