q Marge
ATrialofHisOwn!
Stanley
'THE LADY DANCES
"A'o Favor Sways Us; No Fear ShaU Atce . j
From First Statesman. March 28. 1851.- ;
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DURING college days this writer, took part in debates; on
the direct primary which was then just being agitated.
We recall sending a questionnaire (that was in the early
days 01 questionnaires too) to party committeemen to get
their ideas on the primary as a method of nominating can
didates. One committeeman from northwestern Iowa replied
that the direct primary was "loaded with nitro-glycerine
"-which would blow the republican party off the face of the
earth." How we callow collegians laughed at the extrava
gance of such a statement. A quarter century has passed
and in the light of experience one may observe that the coun
try committeeman was something of a prophet after all.; For
the substitution of the direct primary system and. the dis
continuance of the convention system was a severe blow to
party organization. It put a premium upon party disorgan-
1 1 1 T J T-l 1 1! -
. izauon ana inaepenaeiicy. jiiveu wnere conventions were con
tinued for purposes other than nominating candidates they
were rather toothless affairs, relics of a more glorious past.
. Despite the direct primary the parties have survived,
perhaps because there still lived the "remnant" whose mem
ories and ideas of party loyalty anteceded the primary. What
would most effectively destroy the vestiges of party organ
ization would be the adoption of the blanket primary system
which is said to be sponsored by committees of the grange
and labor unions. Under it names of candidates in the pri-
nvuiu acat vu uuc uaiiub oiiu nic ri ouil nuu taiicu
for it could vote to nominate a candidate regardless of the
party 'designation appearing after his name. There would
be, in short no party lines, so'far as making the nominations
is concerned. Here indeed is another bill "loaded with nitro
. glycerine", so far as party organization is concerned, i
- No one, we believe, anticipates this bill will pass. It is
just a foil to the Erwin bill setting back the dates for primary
elections; sort of a red herring across the trail. Jts propon
ents will be satisfied now if it can serve to counterweigh the
Erwin bill and cause its demise. 1 r
On this matter of party organization there ought to' be
a golden mean. The organization may be ruthless and reac
tionary; but unless there is some organization there is ! no
unity of policy or of program, and no responsibility on the
part of officials or members. The ideal of course is a strong,
cohesive party organization, which is yet responsive to the
will of its rank and file membership. Just now Oregon polit
ical parties are too loose and incoherent. The Erwin bill,
which proposes conventions to name delegates to the? na
tional convention offers an improvement because it Willi be
educational at least. It is significant that opposition to the
Erwin bill comes not from loyal members of the parties but
from those who acknowledge scant loyalty, who take pride
in their "independency". They want all the benefits of prty
rganization with none of the responsibilities. They ! will
agree to support party candidates if their own men win. j !
The Erwin bill preserves primaries for nominating can
iidates for office, deprives no one of his privilege of voting;
but advances the date to a time nearer the fall elections
. in order to save time and money. It merits favorable consid
eration. : 1
i " L e t
Toll-Free Bridges 3n
FOR some weeks past there has been an editorial battle
waged between the Bend Bulletin and the Marshfield
and Astoria dailies over, toll-free bridges. The Bulletin, whose
editor is R. W. Sawyer, former member of the state highway
. board, has been opposing the measure to lift tolls from the
L bridges, which would make the burden for repaying the
PWA loan fall on the highway fund. The Astoria Budget and
the Coos Bay Times, with appropriate loyalty to their local
interests, have supported HB 252 which lifts the tolls. The
Bulletin put something of a silencer on the Astorian-Budget
when it caught the editor of the latter endorsing the ! Co
lumbia river bridge at Astoria as a toll bridge which would
rtmiTia cAfA iinioirinr
The latest blast from Bend was in the form of a high ex
plosive shell which described a beautiful trajectory over the
United Press wires and landed squarely on the desks at As
toria and Marshfield. The Astoria paper gave the Bend story
v banner and prime position on its front page. The Coos Bay
paper arapea a seu-ngnieous mantle over itseii in a two
column front page editorial accusing the Bulletin of bad faith
in using the valuable facilities of the United Press to trans
mit over the state a statement of the Bend chamber of com
merce which embraced much editorial material from the
Bulletin: "Propaganda" says the Times, and refuses to "re
ply in kind. - ' i '
So long as the range-finders stay as accurate in their
target-hitting as at present, we who live under the hiss! of
the parabola may enjoy the exchange. The Bulletin is armed
not only with facts, however, but with much local interest as
well; for eastern Oregon has many tag-ends of roads which
; need to be completed and it does not relish further delay
through diversion of more highway money to the coast route.
The quotations front minutes of the highway board given in
the statement from Bend are quite devastating in a challenge
to the good faith of the coast people who now seek to remove
tolls. To quote from the statement: M .
"On August 5. 1932. A. W. Norblad. M. R. Chessman and !
- Ed W. MiUer. representing the Oregon Coast Highway assocla- :
tloa, appeared before the highway commission in the interest pit 1
construction ot the coast bridges with RFC funds. As spokes- 1
man. Norblad stated that 'a toll of 2S cents per bridge will be
sufficient and will not be a deterrent to traffic.' He also stated
that while they were 'not very favorable to tolls they believed i
the highway commission should take advantage of the present !
opportunity to secure federal funds tor the construction of these
.; ..bridges. V 'i:.- ' x j '
"On. April 1. 19JJ, Chessman headed another group api
pearing before the highway commission and advised the com4 ;
, mission that the Coast Highway association was 'anxious for the !
construction of these bridges as self-liquidating toll projects. i j
w aiay 1, Miner ouered tue commission on behalf ot the I
Coast Highway association 'full -co-operation In securing govt
ernment fund for self liquidating toll projects ; f ;
The truth" is that the coast highway as a result largely
of organized promotion has fared much better than many
other parts of the state highway system. In 1929 the system
Gov. Patterson with political threats up their sleeves. Patter
son satisfied them by giving them the Rogue river bridge,
and showing them how fast the road was being pushed.
Since then it has been the fair-haired child of the whole sys
tem. And as is generally the case, it is now the spoiled child.
Back in New York they have had quite a stir over reducing elec
tric power rates. But Gov. Lehman calls for $55,000,009 in additional
.taxes; and the people do not raise murmur, it u
s I-
L : :
V-f
Soon or Late Fortune Courtsies
So Let's Keep on our Shirtsies
nj
By D. H. Talmadse, Sage of Salem
Soon or late, good fortune courte
sies Let us, boys, keep on our shirt
sies, a 1
Creatures we of circumstances -Let
us, lads, hiteh up our
pantses
Oftentimes the man who loses
Has his spirit in his shoeses.
Gird up our; loins.
Clothes do not make the man,
but in a figurative way they
sometimes help to do so.
Admitting Hamlet to be a won
derful piece of work, I still think
Mr. Shakespeare might have giv
en it additional strength by nam
ing one of the characters Egglet.
There's an ' old spinning .wheel
in the parlor aye. and in the
streets hundreds ot 'em.
Mrs. de Lespinasse of Hubbard,
who has written and published an
excellent story, The Bells of Hel
mus, adds this interesting foot
note to a recent letter: "Nor am
I through with this protesting.
My next book, The Black Soil of
Helm us, is the story of. the birth
ot a free soal among creeds, a
man who learns to be free in his
religion, but at the same time re
mains religlois in his freedom."
I reckon it is better not to
take the average disappointment
too much to 1 heart. I shau not
forget in an Iowa town when I
missed a train. It was, I thought.
pretty Important that. I catch that
train, and when I missed, it I
went into a state of mind, the col
or scheme of which was dark
blue and yellow. An hour later
news came of a head-on collision
the train I had missed and a
wild engine a bad wreck, and
right away i my mental color
scheme changed. I discovered
that I was not so seriously disap
pointed as I . had thought. And
It started my thoughts along a
new line, whch has been helpfuL
--;, - n n aVf
Not that I rise superior to dls
appointment, nor that I always
accept with patience the slings
and arrows which beset most ot
us in everyday Ute. Bless you.
no; I howl and growl and occas
ionally, attend sessions of the Blue
Devils club, where I lead the
wailing. But I have come to know
that disappointments may be
blessings in disguise, and that it
is better for as to withhold our
lamentations until we are fully
convinced - that the disappoint
ment la not for.our better Inter
ests by which time we shall
nave prooaoiy forgotten it any
way. . '.,!'.,
"They shoot too many pictures
and not enough actors in Holly
wood." This opinion has been go
ing around in the papers. I do
not know who first gave it out.
bnt I am quite sure he has a nas
ty disposition. Furthermore,
suspect him to be extremely an
noyed when he observes the box-
office records of certain actors
whom he thinks should be shot.
It takes all sorts ot actors to sat
isfy" a pubUc' !
Ton tell me what you thlnk of
an actor or l tell you what
think of an actor. Sometimes we
I agree, and that is sweU, , and
j sometimes we; disagree, and that
is all right too. Perhaps in the
second Instance we secretly pity
each other for having such bad
taste, but O 1 well, pity may be
akin to love.- Let it go at that.
Spit Hawkins, back in the Tur
i key river country, was a . rabid
republican and Rip Beckley was
a violent democrat, both fire-cat
ers, in a day .when party lines
1 meant something. It was darn
i funny about those two. They ave-
l raged to go bass fishing. together
D. H. TALMADGE
Jeannette Scott at the Presbyter
ian church Friday night, Febru
ary 15. JeanneUe, with her vio
lin, has been a tireless worker
in behalf of the musical people
and the deserving musical insti
tutions of Salem, and largely with
out remuneration beyond that
which comes from the satisfac
tion of participation in congenial
effort. She is entitled to a bene
fit, and I am hoping it will be a
good one. She wlU leave Febru
ary 18 tor Cleveland, umo, to
take a place on the music faculty
of. that city's public schools.
once a week during the summer.
sometimes in Spit's rattly old
buggy drawn by a pot-bellied old
horse and sometimes in Rip's
light wagon drawn by a span of
little bay mares. Judge Potts said
he reckoned Spit and Rip were
the only two men in the district
who could trust each other not to
spoil a fishing trip by injecting
politics into it. But that does net
seem to account lor it satisfac
torily. Personally, I think they
liked each other, which liking
was based npon a mutual respect
due somewhat to the force of
their political differences. It you
can suggest a better theory you
are at perfect liberty to do so. At
any rate, they went fishing to
gether and never talked politics.
A test ot true friendship, wasn't
it? Somewhat rare. The friend'
ship ever seemed strangely gen
nine to me because I knew-ot a
number of republicans who did
not speak to democrats, and vice
versy. which means the other way
'round and also the poetry in
some of the magazines offered for
sale on the newsstands.
The only old-fashioned political
meetings I have seen during the
quarter-century I have been in
the Pacific northwest were in
Will Rogers motlonplays. "The
County Chairman, which recent
ly closed a nine-day run at the
Grand, was particularly good in
this respect.
Says an Oriental newspaper la
its English department: "The
news ot English we tell the latest.
Writ in perfectly style and most
earliest. Staff has each been col
leged and write like the Kipling
and the Dickens." At that, I reck
on the meaning ot the announce
ment is clear, which the meaning
of some purer English occasion
ally is not.
A pilgrim from Minnesota wish
es to know why the wUd geese
hereabouts first fly- south and
then fly north again, almost' be
fore a person has time to an
nounce their maneuvers as '
weather indication. Can't make
np their minds, I s'pose. Geese
are only geese anyway. It they
were not geese they would stop
trying to prognosticate weather
changes in these parts. .
Delightful winter weather
(February ). A doleful prophet
tells us well make up tor It next
spring, Perhaps and perhaps
not. Anyway, it won't be next
spring till next spring.'
I am more than ordinarily In
terested in the announcement of
a benefit concert to be given for
It may be I am rated as a has-
been, and I do not much care if
am so rated. I like to travel
over old roads. Old roads change
with the passing ot the years, and
in the changes are many tales
which one may have for the look
ing. This morning I hare been
looking at a program for the en
gagement ot Lillian Russell In
Wildfire" at the Salem Grand
theatre April 16. 1909. This
program carries a "rule ot the
house" in addition to those re
cently given here as appearing In
former programs at this house
Boys in the gallery are cau
tioned net te me eat calls er beat
lime with their feet dariag ov
ertures er use profane language.'
Oh. those were the good old
days!
cxxaptebzxvui
Vaxrva'a manner, than. Is ft the
manner of a hussy I- Or her French
r. for that matter, her Enrusa I
asked Loring. ... . .
"There are jnrenen isianas m we
Sooth Seas, and Singapore's an
English city. I've net sailors fluent
In as dozen tonnes. Every nation
has colonies in the Pacific. -
And did your sailors. craened
Lorinr. "speak the King's English,
and vary their chanteys with ex
cents, in Parisian French, from
'Samson and Delilah' t"
"Lorinsr- said Hark half envi
ously, "yon should have been the
attorney instead of me. Yen can
weave a convincing1 cnam ox em
dence out of air and dreams.
"Neither air nor dreams enter
into this chain. I'm not to be fooled
Ait (ha rvnintfl T mjmHrm
- "The whole trouble with your ad
mirable - defense," said Mark, is
this: You're defending against the
wrong charge. It doesn t matter
whether the story of her origin is
true or falsenot any more. One
doesnt expect any woman to be en
tirely truthful. It?s quite a different
point thafs the really vital de
ment.'"
"Probably some more diawnlnes
from your curious American stand
ards said Loring dryly. What is
the trouble T
"It's that damned proposal
made her in a misguided moment.
and that she accepted!"
"I know nouunsr about your pro
posal,' said Loring, "except that the
lady's acceptance lost-me a quart
bottle, which I am endeavoring, b;
honest efforts, to recover. But
can imagine extenuating circumstances."
"Extenuating circumstances! For
that? I'm sure I cant."
"No." said Lorin judiciously, "I
besrin to realize that you couldnt.1
"After all. there are such words
as decency, purity, self-respect, and
honor."
"All of which words." put in Lor
ing, "mean one thing to a woman
and another to a man, and much
more to the point mean one thing
in New England and another in
Paris."
"They have only the New England
meaning1 to me.
"And that's not necessarily the
rirht one. And even if your mean
ings art correct, aren t you being
unnecessarily harsh in your inter-
J rotations? Are you so sure of your
idgmentst"
-1 cant see now zacts can oe
Questioned."
"Isn't it possible," pursued Lor
insr. "for a person to be so situated,
so miserable, that any escape at all
seems preferable! Can't you imag
ine that person driven to extremi
ties not usually desirable!
Mark shook his head.
"Well, perhaps such things dont
happen in New England," said Lor
ing sardonically. A m sure uiey ao
in Old England, which is very nearly
as civilized!"
He due his bare brown toes into
the sand, and turned suddenly to
Mark with a rrin.
"Have I earned my quart 1- he
ffueried.
"Of course though as a matter
of fact. I havent doubted Vanya's
story for several days. The other
point's the troublesome one."
Then 1 naveni reauy earnea it,
mourned Lorinsr. "WelL here's some
additional food for thought, then. I
told yon once that I'd never tried to
m TV? I
approacn vanya, lor a reason, ma
you ever wonder what the reason
wasT"
"No," said Mark thoughtfully,
"No: I never did."
"It's because and this is strange,
coming from me because I happen
to respect her."
"Ill say it's strange! I've gath
ered that yon respected nobody and
nothing."
"Yet it's true. There was a time
mhtm we irrri frimiii Dont flare
mm I mens fast friends. When aha
first came here, though now she
never speaks to me."
-Tn noticed that!"
"She was different less solemn.
less hopeless. She was spirited, the
Tdlld It somehow.'
"Sniritt Yon mean tenwer!"
"Call it what you please. But she
need to talk to me. much as yon do.
She even tried to waken me to ef.
fort, to goinx back to England in a
wvru, fcw ravtu m
Bssible takOTrtea Mark,
told her. But I let her try.
rd drinks from her when I
"Imposs
"Sal to
and cadged drinks from
could.". . ,a . .
"Ethical Idea, I muss say w
Shene's wagesl" . " .
She knew what I tm iofaf .
What I'm tryinr te prove is that
she had ideals then; even Singapore
hadn't broken them. It took Tonga
tabu end youl" ; . " . r , "
"What rood are Menu, unices jw
live by them TV
Do yon live by yours t" queried
Loring. - -: . -.
mirm man. --v..;
A . thorfnra evraaed. Wen.
New England morals may be, and
probably are, the highest in the
world, but" ' - -
-But what!" . m t
Bat the rales are toe Inflexible,
harsh, and cruel. You cant live by
them"
I do!" snapped Mark.
All yon do is blame ethers for
faffing.
"I wont argue. What about yon
and Vanya T"
"Oh, what finally finished our
friendship was this, t cough a bit
during the rains Harmless nut
nasty end last season I convinced
her I needed medicine, and she gave
me money to buy it. I did, too;
but not the kind she thought."
"That was a scurvy trick! I dont
blame her for cutting you.
".Blame her! It does her credit,'
said Loring with his cynical smile.
Mark made no reply. He was
thinking of the Vanya Loring had
known, cheerful, hopeful, happy. He
knew her spirit; it had flamed out at
him a half hour ago, there on the
reef. Yet she had grown meeker,
more submissive, ever since tne
night he had forced his kisses on her.
but
some
Lest you forget Symphony
concert at the armory February
it.
Some recent pictures: The 1 sort of spirit she retained until you
n 1 f. A lifr ..fit, M I VIIIaJ .
came vanior xvia uuuvu;
film ended seven days of excel-
lent business at the Grand Fri
day with everybody satisfied. .
A somewhat' exceptional film.
'The Lives of a Bengal Lancer,"
at the Elsinore, Sunday to Wed
nesday, aroused much favorable
comment, particularly from Kip
ling admirers. . . . Another Dick
ens film. "The Mystery of Edwin
Drood," met with a better recep
tion at the Capitol than the form
er experiment at picturislng a
Dickens story. "Great Expecta
tions," due possibly to its pro
gram mate, "The Tin Man,"
which despite two former show
ings in Salem continues popular.
. . . The Dickens revival reaches
its peak in "David Copperfield"
we are informed on authority 'a
bit more dependable than the us
ual run of production company
clip-sheets.
ing him," you were bred a prig ;
you weren t born one. You ve so
imarination not much, but suffi
cient if carefully nurtured. Use it."
"Te the devil with youl" snapped
Mark. "If I've too little Imagina
tion, you've too much, and one can
never be sure how much embroidery
you stitcn around your stones 1
And at that, you havent answered
the one thing that has troubled met"
"Because I cant conceive of that
thing troubling me. That's where
our natures part company, and I
cant advise you where I lack nnder-
standinsr. can 17"
But what am I going to do about
it? What am I to do about the
infernal mess?"
Ah!" said Loring. "That's for
you to figure out."
TCSTLXS
"I didnt mind the drinks I paid
for. I didnt even mind that medi
cine fraud," said Vanya, kicking a
bit of coral rock from the tip ox
the point. "Loring couldnt nave
told yon my real reason for (bank
ing him, because he doesnt know.
"What was it?" queried Mark.
"It was discovering his utter
worthlessness. He's like a cut-glass
bottle, all sparkle, but empty in
side. It hurt me to learn that, be
cause I was different then: Harbin.
Canton, Singapore, and Shenes
Cove all seemed like way-stations
to America. I was hopeful, you
see."
"I dont think yon looked quite
to the bottom of the bottle, or the
flashes bunded you."
"They blind you!" said the girl
impatiently.
"Perev Lorintr of AbbeveroftJ
mused Mark. "Thafs how he in
troduced himself."
Doubtless a lie," said Vanya.
"Neither of us knows his story,
though I've heard him tell a dozen
to sailors. He's a mystery well
never solve, and I for one am less
interested in it than in doing my
daily washing, which I'm going to
sprang erect, charmingly
boyish in ner whipcord breeches and
black boots.
"De yon hare te roV asked
Mark, dragging his tall frame re
luctantly erect.
"It nrastat accumulate," said the
girl with a smile. "I havent
enough to spare.'
Mark followed her, down the ridge
that topped the coral reef. They
picked their way carefully along,
sending small showers of dislodged
pebbles bounding down the sheer
sides. Suddenly Vanya paused
with a little cry ef surprised inter
est.
LookK ahe said, potatdn.
Mark followed her finger's direc
tion. Below them, en the shelving
strip of sand that fringed the inner
side of the reef, a train of small
moving dark objects caught his eye.
Tiny ea-tuitles. and just hatch-inf.-
He saw the disturbed sand,
well above tide-water level, where
the little creatures were aiggmg
vit no from the buried nest
where the eggs had lain, until the
heat ox tne tropica loo. kmux
down through the covenns; sand,
had hatched them.
One by one the awkward little
creatures, no larger than a watch,
struggled out of the sand, and made
their way unerringly directly to the
green waters edge, not one nesi
tated or started in a false direction :
each followed an infallible instinct
that led it straight to its native
element. . -
Minute by minute, the parade ef
tiny- amphibians continued to
emerge. They had watched at least
a dozen claw tneir way out ox tne
sand and drag themselves labori
ously to the sea. But there they
were at hornet There they were
in their natural environment, no
longer at the mercy of creatures ef
land and air, protected by their
shells against aquatic enemies.
"How sure they are!" exclaimed
Vanya. "They're born knowing ex
actly where they belong, and what
to do to get there. I think instinct
is wiser than reason; human be
ings blunder about the business ef
living, and more often than not,
make a miserable failure of it, but
turtles never blunder."
"Never?" said Mark. "Look
there!"
He pointed to the strip ef beach
below them. One of the tiny crea
tures had fallen into a funnel-like
depression in the sand, and was
struggling vainly to release itself.
It could not climb the yielding slope,
which crumbled before it and threw
it again to the bottom. Time after
time it fought its way half to the
top, and slid helplessly again into
the little pit. They watched its dd
reasoning, instinct-driven efforts.
"See!" said the girL "It could
get out on this side. This side is
lower; if it would only turn
around!"
"It never win," said Mark. "It
will keep trying to climb the side
toward the sea: its instinct tells it
to move toward the water, and on- .
less some outside force intervenes,
it will struggle against that side
the ocean side until it dies."
He lowered himself to a project
ing rock, and dropped to the sand.
He seized the turtle, and turned.
holding it at arm's length toward
Vanya. Smiling at her shriek of
refusal, he turned toward the water,
and' placed the diminutive amphib
ia. -. 4V. ... J T. Ji
ou ui mui cugc t disap
peared at once, with frantically
beating feet, into the green depths
that had already welcomed ita
brothers. Mark watched it vanish
in silence, and clambered back up
the ten-foot cliff to Vanya's side,
"That was a kind- thmm to dot"
she said. "I shouldn't have tmas
inw that wnnU 1;1p : T
"Animals young, helpless ani
malsdeserve Dro taction at Thmnan
hands," said Mark briefly.
"You dont care for hnnn
thenT" '
"Not some kinds.' I suppose big
game hunting is fun. where th
quarry conceivably baa a chance to
turn the tables on the hunter, but
fox hunting, er rabbit or deer not
xor me I 1 shot down foemen in the
War, and loved the thrill ef it, but
they had the same arms and the
same chance I did." '
"Yes," said Vanya. "You can be
cruel to human beings without a
qualm, cant you T"
"Human beings can fight back!"
Can they I" ahe said slowly. "Al
ways T But never mind." she con
tinued in a changed voice. "I used
to enjoy hunting; my father hunted
bear and waive.
Trom his lodge at Lake Baikal ?
asked Mark, smiling.
"I dont care whether you believe
me!" snapped Vanya, turning again
toward the shore extremity ef the
point.
w"Bat I do believe your cried
Mark.
"You know 700 dont!"
"Idol IVe believed it for days."
(Te Be Continued)
!(!. to Ktx Tmtmtm Him. Sm
Bits for Breakfast
By R. J. HKNDMCKS
Jefferson Folk in .
Varied Activities
JEFFERSON, Feb. 9. Mrs.
Charles McKee. Mrs. Lincoln Wa
terman, Mrs. R. C Thomas. Mrs.
J. G. Fontaine and daughter,
Mary Louise spent Friday in
Portland.
At the regular meeting of Mt
Jefferson Rebekah lodge Tuesday
night, Mrs. McGregor, Mrs. Mc
Alplne and Mrs. Osborne of the
Eugene Rebekah lodge were spe
cial guests. Short: talks were
given by the guests and various
members of the local lodge, and
a notluck sunner was enioved.
The Past Matrrs' club held
their regular maetlng Thursday
afternon with Mrs. Charles Mc
Kee and Mrs. George Mason as
hostesses. Following the busi
ness routine, the afternoon was
spent informally, after which re
freshments were served. Pres
ent were Mrs. D. H. Loney. Mrs.
W. H. Sherman, Mrs. R. C. Thom
as, Mrs. Guy Roland, Mrs. Hazel
Kelly, Mrs. S. A. . Pease, Mrs. Vo-
Iene Shields of Salem and tne
hostesses. '
A large number of patrons and
students of the Jefferson school
attended the puppet show given
by Mr. Winters, the ventriloquist.
at the schoolhouse Thursday
night, which was sponsored by
the Parent Teachers' association.
at their regular meeting. '!
Mrs. Tetms Pearson, teacher
in the Jefferson schools, spent the
weekend in Portland with her sis
ter who Is HL, ; - '
1 Jean McKee. student at Oregon
State college was been pledged
by the Alpha XI Delta sorority.
Horrible example proves
all sentences to prison
should be . indeterminate:
Three issues of this column
last week were devoted to prov
ing that all sentences to prison
should be indeterminate.
m
In the mean time there has
come to public notice a horrible
example that proves the conten
tion. The notice is contained in
a news story in the Oregonlan
Thursday, opening with this para
graph: "Police reported six recent east
side holdups were cleared yester
day with the arrest of Noble
Clayton Smith, 30, an ex-convict,
who was asserted to have admit
ted the robberies."
The holdup man was "released
from the Oregon state penitenti
ary January 10, after serving a
term for robbery, records dis
closed." said the Oregonian fur
ther.' The news story said that five
days after release Smith held up
a man in a service station and
got $40. He also robbed a Piggly
Wiggly store, a drug store, and
three other service stations.
He is held under $20,000 ball
requirement for assault and rob
bery while armed.
But that is not the whole story
of Noble Clayton Smith.
The page devoted to his case
in the record book' of the Oregon
penitentiary shows:
He was committed in 1920 to
the Lansing, Mich., reform school,
where he remained for six
months, and escaped. Being 39
now. this shows him to hare been
15 then. -
In 1922. when he was 17. he
sentence to the . giraigan
state TefonnrtOTT at las, t
ta IS -rears, and was "bareled.
In 1925 h was seat to the
Km Dakota. Mnitenttery at
Blxniarcsi wader s v ewes
eemeece. He evidently
ut his terns .
In 1932. at Portland, he was
arrested, accused of assault and
robbery. The charge was reduced
to assault with intent to rob, and
he was consequently let oft with
a three year sentence, which he
served out in two years, by earn
ing credit marks for good behav
ior. That's the horrible example.
Is it not conclusive?
Smith broke his parole from
the Michigan state reformatory
when he went to North Dakota
and committed a crime. He broke
it when ho came to Oregon and
committed' robbery or attempted
robbery. The Michigan authori
ties were notified by the officials
ot the Oregon prison, and replied
that they wanted Smith upon re
lease here. But they tailed to
send for him.
Is
If the present charge against
him is not reduced, he may get
a sentence of not less then 10
years. Even so, he knows the
ropes, and would be a good pris
oner, and would earn a large
share ot his time by strict ob
servance of the rules if he were
not paroled ot pardoned and thus
turned loose still sooner.
V
It fs not tor any man to say
in advance how long it might
lake, under proper conditions, to
make out of Noble Clayton Smith
a person safe for a place in ord
erly society.
uut one need not be a - very
good guesser to safely predict
that 10 years might be too short
a lime. - . ' - -
He should haTe his chance. Ev
ery man In prison should. The
lamp of hope should. never - be
snuffed out or turned ofL
The principle ef the law la
wren that ta Oregon and in
meat or our states arbitrarily
ghres a lOe sentence te a "third
time leaer." -
But the priactple that arenoa-
te dewy freedom ta nay per
son not fitted to mingle la law
abiding society is not wrong.
No one disputes the duty of
the state to restrain the liberty
ot an insane or feeble minded in
dividual
And certainly the morally in
sane or incompetent person is
more dangerous.
Time was. not' so long ago.
when the world had no asylums
tor the insane they ran at large
were the "poor Toms" refer
red to by Shakespeare.
But there have been orisons for
law violators as long as there has
been written record ot historical
events.
Mekama School Will
Feature Magician
MEHAMA, Feb. 9. An eve
ning ot magic will be presented
at the school, Friday. February
15, by Bob Woods ef Stayton.
Two major stage illusions, "The
Trunk Escape," made famous by
uoadini: alao Raymond the
GreaVa "Sawing Us Lady m
Two." Many amazing performanc
es with cards and various mater
ials will furnish an Interesting
and enjoyable time for all.
A group ot one-act plays will
be given at the school sometime
in March. The costs are being
selected from the community and
the proceeds will be to benefit
the school. - Miss Jane Kabin is
acting aa coach. The plays will
consist ot comedies, sketches and
farces that will insure entertain
ment for everyone. The entire
cast of characters has not as yet
been selected. -
- The Parry Lumber company
has been laid eft since Wednes
day ot this week, due to Isck ot
lumber orders.
Four-H clubs In cooking and
sewing hare been organised by
the pupils ot Mehama school.
The sewing club officers recently
elected are: President, Dorothy
Teetersr vice-president, June
Dickson; secretary and treasurer.
Arlene . Johnson.
Mrs.' Ed. Reed Is spending a
few days visiting in Sllverton.
Mrs. Billie Wilson is setting
out about three and one-half
ucres more of strawberries. .