PAGE FOUR
The OREGON STATESMAN, Salem; Oregon, Friday Morning April 26, 1935
Let's Keep Ourselves Out of the Next One!
"The Cold
I . 1 e
finger lurse Byf e
raiesmnn
"No Favor Sway Us; Wo Fear Shall AW
From First Statesman. March 2S, 1851 '
Tlld STATESMAN PUBLISHING CO.
Chakles A. Sprague - - - . - Editor-Manager
Sheujon P. Sackxit - - - - - Managing -Editor
Member or the Associated Press
The Associated Press Is axcluaivaiy entitled to lbs use for publics
tlon e-f si! naws dispatches creditad to It or not otherwise credited is
tltla paper. j
ADVERTISING
Portland Representative
Gordon a Beit. Security
Eastern Advertising
4
Bryant. Uitif fiUr Uruoaun. loc.
Mosion.
. Entered at
the Postoffice at
Matter. lubliked
office tl5 S.
Commercial Street.
SUBSCRIPTION UATES:
tun
Subscription
Sunday. 1 Mo.
u cents; 2 Mo. $1.25;
wuera 5ti vi-nts
r Me., or I5.ee
X cents. New
Viands S centa.
By City
Cartier
Incipient
TTARIOUS measures are under consideration in Washing-
V ton having p do wit&Jtaking profits out of war, stopping
war profiteering, and providing for conscription of men and
materials, in tinie of war. With legislation to put a "ceiling"
on profits in wartime we are not now so much concerned;
but the gist of pending legislation is to put the whole coun
try in the grip of the war department when war does break
-out. Even if thi& purpose is far removed from the minds of
sponsors of the legislation, the effect might result if some of
the pending billd are enacted.
In the last jwar the government extended its authority
far beyond what was necessary to meet the emergency. That
was only a starter. When another war comes we may see the
whole country gfoose-stepping; to the commands of the mili
tary machine. Inj such a situation there will be no freedom of
conduct or of opinion, there was little of 'he latter in the
last war. j
All that woiild be necessary to shift our political gears
into fascism woyld be a war, because the military would
move into full cdmmand, issue orders in council under these
laws approving Conscription of the economic machinery for
the rigid control! of the whole economic life. The transition
would be easy if jthe minds of the people were "conditioned"
previously for such a regime.
All of these j increases in the war establishment are not
solely for purposes of defense against possible foreign en
emiesThey are,! in our opinion, in considerable degree for
maintaining the Internal peace. Worthy as the purpose may
be against civil disorder, it still sets a stage for fascism.
The Statesman rarely turns up bogies with which to af
fright itself or the people; but it is alarmed at the growing
power of the militarist mind in national affairs. The Amer
ican people are In no mood now for a "man on horseback" ;
but what about i "man on the radio? Let power drift into
the hands of a schemer, then with a powerful army support
ed by laws permitting conscription where would liberty be
secure? ft
The Washington policy could avoid this by directing it
self toward avoidance of war. Talking about what will be
done when the next war comes conditions the public mind to
accept war as a jcertainty ; and with it the most drastic con
trols ever conceived of. A wiser course is to foster a policy
pf staying out of troubles both in Europe and Asia with a
wise expenditure of funds for protection of continental
America and Haiwaii. Such a course will not require grants
of power to thewar department to strip the people of the lib
erties and lay a 'groundwork for the fascist state here. -
; Go Slow on Session
GOV. MARTIN is wise in going slow on the matter of a
special session. Congress is a long way from adjourn
ing; and the text of its social security legislation is by no
means clear. Very few states have enacted any "match" leg
islation and evidently expect to wait until 1937 to meet.
A special session would open the door for all the griev
ances, real and fancied, for ameliatory legislation. In that
terrific pressure there is always the danger of special in
terest legislation. Those who take offense at some of the
policies of Gov. "Martin would use the legislature as a sound
ing board for the 1936 campaign or as a medium for irri
tating bills.
Sen. McNary said a while ago the congress should ad
journ by mid-June and give the country some degree of com
- posure. It will not, but the admonition was pertinent. Gov.
Martin might find a special session a Pandora's box of
troubles. j
Milk Price Unsettlement
TI7ASHINGTON seems to be having trouble with its state
if T AAA. Seattle milk distributors cut prices a centbut
the director of agriculture raised them again. Then the case
was' taken to court and the law was Jheld unconstitutional.
Now the distributors have renewed their price cut. However
the 1935 state AAA law has not.been passed on.
It is reliably reported that price conditions in Port
land weretgetting into a bad tangle when Gov. Martin ousted
the old. board and installed a new one. Secret rebates, price
thiseling were indulged in, until there was threat of a wide
open break. The new Oregon board has organized but so ar
has not named ri administrator. It will have the price prob
lem on its hands right from the state.
The Oregoaian performs a service -when it berates Commis
sioner Bannett lor denying proper heat ia the rooms of the Oregon
Historical society in the auditorium. Thin writer visited the quarters
recently and found them socold it vtt necessary to keep an overcoat
ra to hare any comfort. Workers at times -ha Ye been forced to.go
lLt U tao cold 40 remain and they hare stayed
TfJw e",tth temperatures of 80 or below. If Portland does
not , appreciate-the society encash to provide -heat for the rooms the
Mate should proride adequate and comfortable quarters for it in
ivf thTfrlf G,ralj?K cororatlon, whose failure caused closing
gesVg?afn he2a? ' t7' ta ne 01 owe mud
Sde f th J? the business. It sot caught on the wrong
? the market whan the drouth made the price of wheat to
f?TVl77?y nd 'tatV e hazardous: and eren
ILd 81 Jlcktf V U- d Arthur Cutten were two
E?JJ?V"i.aWa,i mak keP fortune; and Cutten still
has time to lose hie, although Juri, under trading ban at present.
iaaV19 CfCny,iWll, tlte,1a t0 tight the dust storms in-the
"SliSTS1 Wi" it rainw make the wind atop Wowing
WUt,ly &19Btj belt which isn't pUnted yet?
Portland was touch -exdted this week when an aUered class A
gangster was lound domicUed tare. uegea class A
DALUSSUHS
HJIOI06 COiDIST
' DALLAS, April 25,two typ
, fng teams and.: one shorthaad
team. will be entered by the Dal
, las high school in the state wide
contest to be held s at Corrallis,
Saturday, AprU 27.1
jf 'The typing 'teams will be the
Huil.Iing. Portland. Or.
RepresentfUvea
Chicago. ew York. Detroit.
Atlanta
Salem, Oregon, at Second-Close
ivery- morning except klonaay. e urines
Kates. In Advance. Within Oregon: Dally and
Ma 12.15; 1 year -VU. Elsw-
for I yaar la adrance. rr copy
cents a month ; $5.99 a year In advance.
Fascism
same as successfully competed is
the Polk county contest, last Sat
urday at Honmouth. with Helen
Elle and Dorothy Palmer la the
aorlce dlTisioa and Bernle Elle
and Howard Campbell in the am
ateur division. The typing teams
are coached by Miss Betty Jelinek
of the commercial department,
' Th shorthand team coached
by Miss Veroka Wampler wIU be
Ruth Plammer, Arlene Voth.
Gladys Mig and Mildred Schnei
der, they are second year students.
Editorial
Comment
From Other Papers
O PROMISE MK
The Townsendites hare taken
a leaf from the political hand
book of the new dealers and are
making effective use ot it. Show
us something better," they aay,
"before condemning our plan."
That is the .sophistry through
which millions of rotes were har
vested tor the democratic party
in 1934, and sow those- who are
more radical are using it to bring
support to their organizations.
The successful political tTick in
these- days is to wait and see
what others promise and then
double any and every such pledge,
multiply the result by three and
hold out the product as a plan
for recovery. Yakima Republic.
ORDERED TO NORTH
STAYTON, AprU 25. Rev.
Daniel F. X. O'Connor who has
for several weeks been in charge
of Immaculate conception par
ish here has been ordered to re
port to Point Townsend, Wash. A
priest from the Benedictine Abbey
at ML Angel will take his place
here until Rev. Joseph Scherbring
returns from Iowa about May 1.
Daily Health Talks
By ROYAL S. COPELAND, M. D.
United States senator from New Tork
Former CerrmUsioner of Health,
New Tork City
, "TYPHUS. WITH Us brothars and
sisters plague, cholera, typhold and
dysentery has decided mors cam
.patgaa than Caesar, Ucnaital, Na
poleon and ail
the other gea-fi
eral of history.
T ha epidemics
get the blame
for defeat; the
vanarata tha
credit tor vie-II
teryv nought ts
ba the other way
round." So writes
Doctor Haas
: Zinsser -et t"h e
Harvard Medical
aehooV In his
new 'book about
typhus fever.
Typhus fever Dr.Copelaitd
has always .been ?
a menace to mankind. It te a dlt
aaa of Hthaad earclessaeaa. It can
be prevented by SMrdslax .proper
hygienic measures. Sanitary equip
ment and facilities may be destroyed
by unexpected calawdties, such as
floods, toraadoes and " earthquakes.
Then, unfortunately. epMemica of
typhus fever often follow.
Devastating: Disease
Few -persons realize how devastat
ing this dlseas can be. . During the
Wetid war more than twenty -five
mutton Raastana were -stricken with
the disease and almost three.aeHUoa
ed. It hnraded aU aectiona of the
European continent where unhy
gienic conditions -prevailed.
The disease Is still prevalent in
artala. part t the wertd. In tads
country it is faoad In sefa ef xhe
- southern border states. If . It were
not for the vlgttnsee ef tbe- federal
and state authorities the disease
would be quickly spread to other sec
tkma. Fortunately, these ver alert
health MthartUes are ea guard
against typhus and other similar In
fection. Cersa Found In Rats
Typhus fever is caused by a germ
found in rata The germ is carried
from one rat to another by rat ike
and fleaa, It Is transmitted to hu
mans by fleaa, and from one person
to another by lice. Obviously the
:disease can only exist, where .there
are filth and neglect of hygiene.
Dark, crowded and unsanitary places
f , :
1 i s, Jf.
.if: I ,
Bits for Breakfast
By R. J. HENDRICKS
Address at dedication of
tablet to the Dorlon woman:
(Concluding from yesterday:)
, Her sight recovered; she plod
ded n. Morsels of food were re
duced to none at all. She wrap
ped her boys in blankets, broke
some twigs to mark the spot
where she left them, in- the tor
por of starvation, and herself hur
ried on. Peering ahead, she had
caught sight of a curling faint
wisp of the smoke of an Indian
camp far below. Spurred to exert
to the utmost the last ounce of
her waning strength, like a tigress
fighting for her young, she fran
tically pressed on, first forcing
one foot ahead of the other and
then crawling. Followed a full day
of this last struggle, and an in
tervening dreadful, cold and
sleepless night, the morning of
which found the iron willed wo
man again grimly going on. At
noon this second day, a Walla
Walla squaw espied a sister
squaw crawling down the moun
tain toward the camp, and gave
the loud alarm. Help was instant
in being on the way. Soon mother
and children were with warmly
welcoming friends, gained while
of living are favorable to the prog
ress of typhus fever.
The disease la characterized by
high fever, severe headache, chills
and prostration. In its early stages
it Is often confused with typhoid
fever, but is distinguished from it by
a peculiar mottling of the skin. The
skin rash of typhus fever appears
about the third to fifth day of the
disease. At first, it is reddish in col
or, but soon changes to a purpnsb
hue. It covers .the entire body, with
tha exception of the face.
The sufferer from typhus fever re
quires expert medical attention and
careful nursing. Of course, complete
Isolation Is most Important in pre
venting the spread of the disease.
Danger of Complteationa
. The danger of serious complica
tions, aucb as broncho-pnaamoaiaV.
must not be overlooked. Whenever '
possible H is best to transfer the vic
tim of typhus fever to a hospital,
where adequate cart and protection
are sure to be .obtained.
Beceatly a special vaccine has been
perfected , by the United States pub
lic health service. But this vaccine
only protects against a certain form
of typhus fever. r Until a more per-
feet vaccine is developed, we can
only guard against the disease by en
forcement of hygienic measures.
There should be -rigid' santtatloa .
regulations te ah cities, towns, vil
lages, amd ba-mlsta' throughout the
country Amwots to Health Queries
c 8ee. Q; What can 1 do to put on
weight? X jteetn to be la xood -health'
but wish to add about ten pounds
to my weight
A. Take a good tonic and bunder.
Best and relax whenever possBue.
For further particulars .send a self- .
Laddrejaed. stamped envelope and re- ,
peat your question. ,
J. C 8. Q. Will you please .tell
me hew to gala weight and strength. ;
A. Make every effort 1 to Improve
the general health, For full parttru-'
Lars restate .your, question and send '
a stamped, self -addressed envelope.
Mrs. B. XI Can a bunion be
cured? ';
A. It the trouble Is of long stand
tag. an operation . may be necessary
to effect a cure. ' For full particu
lara restate year question and send a
stamped, self-addressed envelope.
fCbpTW,IS3J."a:. FTbX, tncj
going that way two winters be
fore. Wrote Def enback In his
book:
"The woman had come down
from her Golgotha. Consider this
Dorion woman, and name, if you
can, any female character in his
tory whose story outshine in pluck,
grim determination, fierce reso
lution and motherly self sacrifice
the record this red heroine wrote
in letters ot blood. No monuments
rise to her memory; no tablets of
bronze are inscribed in her honor;
no high mountains or noble
streams bear her name. It is to
the discredit of the great north
west that they do not." (Since
that time an eastern Oregon
bridge and a Pendleton hotel
have been named for her, and to
day marks another step of many
that will no doubt be taken to
redeem the credit f our state,
our section and our country.)
Wrote Franchere of the pro
gress of the 90 Astorians in their
10 canoes, five of bark and five
of cedar wood, nine men to a
canoe, on their homeward way up
the Columbia river on April 17,
1814, having left Astoria April 4:
"We heard a child's voice cry out
in French 'arrestez done, arres
tez done' (stop! stop!) We put
ashore, and the canoes having
joined us we perceived in one of
them the wife and children of . . .
Pierre Dorion." (Walla Walla In
dian rowers in three swift canoes
had set out and struggled to over
take the Astorians, after the Do
rion woman had seen them pass
tfie Indian camp where she had
been for two weeks, and of course
recognized them.)
"Well might we with Virgil
say, 'Who can relate such woes
without a tear?" wrote Alexan
der Ross, after telling in his book
the story the Astorians heard
from the lips of the woman, that
April 17 on the Colombia, 121
.years, less 10 days ago today.
Whose was the child's voice cry
ing to. the, departing fleet of the
Astoriang? There seems now no
doubt that the younger of the two
LDerlon children with whom their
mother escaped from the Dogrib
murderers was Baptiste Dorion,
and that. the on? who with a
child's voice hailt the 10 fleet
ing caravels was the boy called
by most historians Paul, but
whose name was not likely Paul.
Also, the older brother of the one
called Paul by historians, who by
them has been called -Baptiste,
was probably not Baptiste, but
per he pa Pierre, a favorite name
in the Dorion -clan. Neither-ot the
two .Dorion boys who canre with
the land party of the Astorians is
accounted tor; that Is, it is not
known where they lived or when
they died. It -seems evident that
the older one was dead before the
massacre by the Dogrib Indians.
It seems certain that, as Tar as
their mother Jmew, only one Do
rion boy was living in 1841, when
the marriage of Marie Iowa to
JohnToupin- was performed, and
all her children legitimized. None
but Baptiste of the Dorton chil
dren, waa named in that ceremony,
and all her . living: children, were
-evidently intended to be named,
the record in addition to Baptists
Dorion showing' Marguerite Verne
and Francis and 'Marianne Tou
pin. That made- -seven children
bora to Madame Dorion; four
then living, one certainly dead,
and -perhaps 'three. Cox wrote- in
his book that in January. 1814.
she had two children, one of four
years and the o t hr tfour
months. This gives September
1813, as the month of Baptiste's
birth. Baptiste- (Jean- Baptiste)
Dorion died in 1849 in Marlon
county, and his half h"ther Fran-
1 CHAPTER XX j
"Did Merriam, also, have the op
portunity , to participate in the
crime t queried Montigny. "Was he
known to have been upstairs er
away from the others at the party T"
"That's where we're trp agamst
It," growled McEninr. "Everybody
was half -abet, lota of hullabaloo and
musk and Zulu drumming, the regu
lar lights were not even on in the
library-ballroom they were .using
a spot and colored floodlights. No
body seems to know exactly where
anybody else was. Why, lew of 'em
knew Mrs. Elderbank was out of
the room, even. Merriam admits he
left the lights he was tending to go
out and see if this dancer was
ready. He says he saw Mrs. Elder
bank going up to answer the phone
about then, and he says a little later
he was hi the kitchen and butler's
pantry checking up the liquor sup
ply with -the butler''
"Thus cleartegr'' said Montigny,
smiling faintly, -the butler 7
"Oh, yes, Copples is -all right.
We're having bun watched. But i n
not wot lying about him.'
'Mr. Elderbank, seated at -a eoTBer
of MeEairy's desk, had been Test
ins jus head wearily ia his hands,
his eyes dosed. He rose abruptly.
"I cant stand any more tf this,
-Inspector he said bitterly. "I'm go
ing to leave the rest to you and Cap
tain Moxttigny. I am going to my
hotel."
"All right, Mr. Xlderbank, I
think you'd better. The thing is
too dose to you. I thousrht perhaps.
though, that while yea were here"
you'd like to see this Merriam
chap."
Elderbank stiffened. He was -a
stern, commanding figure when ha
drew himself to full height. .
"Yes, I should like to see the
blackguard," he declared vehement
ly. "I shall not go until I have
seen him."
McEniry with a quizzical smile
on his lips spoke a message into
t'ie telephone summoning Merriam.
Sergeant Darden was in the outer
office and desired to speak to him,
the Inspector was told.
- A new line on this pencil busi
ness," said Darden. "We have
traced it."
"Already? Good! Shoot!"
"It's a newspaper man's pencil,
extra-soft copy i eader's pencil, the
kind they use at the Amalgamated
Press offices. There was another
just like it in Tburber's pocket
when he was searched last night. He
admits it is his pencil 1"
"His pencil, eh? muttered Mc
Eniry into the receiver. How does
he account for it being on that
roof?"
"Says he doesn't know he might
hare dropped it when he was up
there putting up his radio aerial, er
it might have fallen eat of his
pocket last night when he was in
the Elderbank roof garden. Then he
remembered that -his lawyer had
told hfm not to talk, and he wouldn't
My-anything more."
"All right, Darden. Good work."
The Inspector hung up his re
ceiver as Price Merriam entered.
.Price was 'debonairly dressed, as
usual, handsome as a screen star,
not a doubt lurking in his clean;
frank eyes too dear and frank to
be perfectly true, one felt. His
brown hair was faultlessly brushed.
His hand, as he extended it4o Mr.
Elderbank, exhibited the glistening
pink finger nails of s monungrinani
enre. Elderbank ignored tha out
stretched hand.
"Don't pretend any intimacy with
me, sir," said the old man coldly.
1 don't want to shake hands with
you. I want an explanation of this
ghastly outrage."
Merriam seemed astounded.
"Why, what's the matter, Mr. El
derbank?" he exclaimed. "Imf rrghs
fnlly done in with aU that has
happened, bat surely curdy, sir,
you don't blame me!"
"Blame you?!' cried Elderbank.
"Blame yon! I'll send you to the
electric chair, that's what 111 do,
you miserable bounder!"
Merriam paled. He glanced ap
preaeasivety at Inspector McEniry
and Montigny. His lip trembled.
cis Toupin administered his es
tate, as shown of record.
We have good words concern
ing the intelligence and charac
ter of the unlettered heroine ot
Washington living's Astoria. Ja
son Lee met her in 1S38, on his
way east after the Lausanne par
ty; met her with Factor Pierre
C. Pambrun's wife near the Whit
man station, where she was a'
favorite with Nardssa Whitman
and was-under the especial .pro
tection of the mistress of old Fort
Waila Walla. Lee was Teputedly
favorably impressed with her. "It
is aatd that, in the Willamette
valley, she was a frequent visitor
at the Jason Lee mission from
1841 on, and that she learned to
apeak fair English. Dr. Elijah
White spoke highly of her, hav
ing become well acquainted with
her after his second arrival in
1842.
Lee called her a very old wo
man, in 1838. She could not then
have been far from 47. Father
Delorme wrote in the record ef
her burial "do cent ans" as her
age. Meaning. I take, it, within or
around 100 years. She must have
appeared old 12 years before,, to
Lee. Her body In death must have
appeared much older,; to Father
Delorme. He was a scholarly man.
Ho became vicar general. You
may have your guess. My guess is
that she had so endured, la her
twenties, as to make her In her
forties look like eighty,., and in
her fifties Ilka a hundred.
Barry say Marie and . Baptists
Dorion were the first independent
settlers In Oregon; eitixena and
net connected with any trapping
company. Saeagawe jAd -the he
roine of the Astorianswere fitting
forerunners of a. feast of pioneer
women who tok tble mparts Lu
biasing the-trails to -and f the
ultimate and wastermost west. It
has been written that whlle many
men grew chicken hearted, weak
ened and turned back, after start
ing in the covered wagon days, no
woman ever voluntarily turned
back. That meant a multitude.'
The first Conestoga. covered wa
gon camo west with the Whit
mans . in 183. From then until
1869, fuDy 350,000 Americans
took those long trails, until 'the
driving of tha last spike at Pro
montory Point at the north :end
of the Great Salt Lake, "joining
together the Union and Central
P a e 1 f 1 e railroads. It was . the
greatest trek of all history, trans-
"Why. Mr. Elderbank, I did the very
oast that i eonid to to protect her.
I was opposed to certain features
of last night's party and X told her
so. Why, we scarcely knew half the
people -who were present some
peculiar so-called artist folk from
'next door, far instance. But I didn't
r thrnV that amy of them "
- jsidttroansr interrupted in a voice
that rose to a roar: "Yon were a
party to this dastardly outrage, and
don't you deny it ! Ton set the brutal
scoundrels on her you told them
how to go about it, how to trick her
into answering Tier telephone the
police have the proof of it, and by
heaven "
The old man's anger choked him.
"What what proof?" stammered
Merriam. "I haven't done anything
wrong. I knew nouxng about this
terrible plot you ought to realize
that, .Mr. Elderbank. Ton have no
right to turn on me this way. I
have served your interests faith
fully."
"Faithfully? Yea lying dog! You
unconscionable beast! You -were en
trusted with the protection of this
poor woman. Yon bad every reason
to be grateful to her, and to me.
rou were paid: twice for everything
you did emeerby my wfe and once
by ma. Bat you -were not satisfied
with that yon thief, yon mur-1
aerer!"
Elderbank 's nttffv f aee had grown
purple. Inspector McEniry gently
urged him into a chair.
44 AH -right, air, try not to get ex
cited, sir," cautioned the Inspector.
"We're going to handle this chap
for you." i
"Yon haven't got a thing on me,"
babbled Merriam in sudden terror.
"Yon can't pis this horrible crime
on me. I didnt have a thing to do
with it, I tell you"
"Except the long cord leading to
your window," put in the Inspector
coolly; "you tied the bag on that,
didn't you the bag that contained
Mrs. Elierbank's jewelry after
you had kiSed her!"
"Good heavens. Inspector, what
are you saying? I " Merriam
looked around helplessly. Sweat had
popped out on his forehead, and he
mopped it with a spotless cambric
handkerchief. He caught the hostile
glare of Elderbank's eyes and it
seemed to give him resolution.
"Oh, edl sight," said bitterly,
his lip curling. "I seem to be the
general goat for everything, dont
I? All right, Inspector, IH tdl you
this and it is gospel truth I know
nothing whatsoever about the cord
somebody tied atside my window.
It's a plant, v a dirty frame-up. I
never saw or heard about this 'Gar
vice' they're asking me about. I
didnt know there was such a person
in the house with me. They could
have got into my rooms all right.!
They could lrae stolen my key
somebody did. .a a matter of fact
or they could have sneaked in while
the -maid was deaninr, and bid-j
-yea. tier 'could have est in.
bellowed EJdexbank, "with youraid.
and consent.
Merriaaa faced the -eld man
squarely. ""New, let me tell yew
something, yon xtagratefnl old
croak." Merriam pointed his finger
st him. I wanted to play fair with
you, yon hypocritical old heel, but
yoa ve chosen to slam the dirt at
me, and by heaven, IH tell what
know!"
Elderbank rose ia renewed rage.
"Get him oat of here, get him out of
here," he shouted, "before he pro
vokes me to violence."
"Ah. cut she melodrama." sneesed
Merriam. "Nobody's afraid of you,
yoa puffed-np bag of wind. Dont
think you can bully me. I dont care
whether yoetve got fifteen million
dollars or fifteen cents. Play me in
the feg and 111 coma back at yen.
I know all about yon. yen darned
old fraud, and. I'm. going to teU-all
I know."
"Stop him! Ston him!" stormed
Elderbaek. "Ill kill him if he keeps
on with these insults!"
"Let him go on." growled In
spector McEiury, who had taken a
new interest ia Merriam in view of
this show of spirit. "If he knows
anything that's true it wont hurt
to let it come out."
The Safety
Valve
Letters from
Statesman .Headers
WHEN MEN WERE MEN
To the Editor:
Perhaps once or tvTca. In a year,
the newspapers will delineate the;
story ot an apostate minister of
the gospel, who has defaulted
from the dignity of his high call
ing In "Christ Jesus, scrapped the
sacred rows of his ordination to
preach, and gooe morally berserk.
Such instances, I believe, are rare,
but when it does Happen, no mat
ter where, the sun is immediately
turned into- darkness and the
moon into blood. The newspapers
play it up with a bold front page-
bead lines, the scoffers and under
world purveyors of carrion, grab
it for a bludgeon to . belabor tire
church, and hell decrees a. Roman
holiday to celebrate the sordid
episode with prolonged conclaves
of unsophisticated dee.
I have been informed upon
good authority, that every metro
politan newspaper from Portland
to JBaffalo, has carried a sensa
tional story of the Salem clergy
man, who swapped, umsighi un
seen, the big over-staffed chairs
of his Unitarian pulpit for a hard
bottom seat at a Tiajuaaa poker
table; wrote $00 1n bogus check
to finance his peculations and pre
cipitately landed in jalL It any
planting a whole cross aoctloa of
civilisation, mostly by slow mov
ing ox teams, more than 2000
miles through plains and desert
spaces with -no built roads, over
high mountains and -across bridge
less and terryless streams, and all
along the way lurked wild savage
tribes, many of them resentful of
tha encroachment upon what they
believed their property and their
rights,' So the covered wagon was
the. ship of the desert or the river
by day .and the house and fortress
by-nlgbt. for these .our Oregon
Argonauts. Our pioneer women
endured trials and braved dangers
beyond - those ot the so called
sterner sex. We who enjoy the
fruits of their labors and sacri
fices and the benefits of the clear
ness of their prophetic visions
(Turn to Page 23)
"I know something- that's true
you're- dead right X do," said Mer
riam triumphantly. "I know this
mangy old scoundrel threatened his
wife threatened to kill her. Now
make the most of that, if you're
looking for suspects ! Dont pick on
somebody because a eheap crook has
pulled a plant on him. He threat
ened her. Arrest him!"
"He is lying," shouted Elderbank.
"It is not true, not a miserable word
of it."
"It's true if your wife spoke the
truth about it," said Merriam coolly.
"It isnt hearsay, either, I've got it
fat black and white. She wrote me
about it. You can put that letter in
evidence. Inspector, along with your
fishing cord."
"Where is it?" demanded Mc
Eniry. "It's in ray box at the bank Pre
saved it for just such a time aa
this."
"I defy yoa to produce it, you in
fernal scoundrel!" challenged El
derbank. "If you have any such
letter it is a forgery."
"Well let the authorities judge as
to that. She wrote me from Mon
treal that yon had threatened her
life, because she wouldn't give yoa
a divorce. Oh, I know all about your
love nest' on Sherbrooke Street, yoa
tricky old hypocrite. Don't stand
there and make faces at me, you
cant scare me. I know you've got
a girl in Montreal. And your wife
knew about it. Yon weren't fooling
anybody. Did you want the jewels
for her for your sweet thing in
Canada? Is that why you stole tn em
hired gunmen to kill your wife?"
"Stop him! Stop hfan!" shrieked
Elderbank, ill-restrained by the
commanding bulk of McEniry, who
stood between him and the dapper
young man who was taunting him.
"Turn against me, call me a
cheap crook, will you!" Merriam
went on. "Ill give you something
to worry, aBout Yon had the jew
els insured in year name, didnt you
eight hundred and fifty thousand
dollars didnt you? You'd get a
cheap divorce and you'd get paid
twice tor the stones, wouldnt you
one? by the insurance company,
once by the fence who took them in I
Or did .you intend giving them to
this dame in Montreal "
" You're a dirty, low unprincipled
thief and bck "
'-"Oh. cut tha theatricals. You
cant bully fire as yoa did this poor
woman who was your wife. Bnt
yon couldn't make her give you a
divorce, for all your bullying, eoald
yoa? Yoa coaldnt get the gf OUBOSL
could you? That's why yea hired
me, really, wasnt it yoa hoped
there would be grounds, didnt yoa?
Yoa had us watched. But I didnt
fall into the trap, yoa nasty old
scheming knave.4
"Nix on the personalities!" com
manded McEniry. "You can tell
what you've got to tell without this
rough staff. Yoa dont have to in
sult this, old gentleman.'
-"He insulted mes" said Merriam
coldly. "He accused me of breach
ing a trust, of denbie-dealtng, ef
theft and nsurder. I'm a sqpssre
sheoter, Inspector, whatever else
you may say f me. I neer picked
a defenseless woman to double
cross.' Why wouldnt she c4t him a
divorce?" interrogated McEniry
Nunuy.
"Because it wasnt na ta her.
thafa why. She had done nothing
to be divorced for. She had kept
her end of the contract1
By nmnirtr around to DeanviTle.
New York. Palm Beach "
"He forced her into it. He made
life unbearable for her. She told
me the whole truth. She said I
was the only real friend she had."
And you hoped te marrv her
yourself -some day, eh?
Merriam shrugged. "It Is a mat
ter of no consequence what I
lieped.' At anyTate I played square
with her, and I'm just as anxious to
find the fiends who killed her. In
spector, as you are."
Elderbank had subsided Into a.
broken heap. He sat humped up fat
nis cnair. saying notmng.
(To Be Continued)
emW. 1W4. kr Srta . Tarfaraa
MiBSoWif KheTlma Sjaaif. Iaa,
other professional man onder the
sun, had done the Same evil, I
doubt if any thing would have
been said of it outside of the local
community. The moral lapses of
modern ministers are much like
the sins of King David, they not
only stick, but give great occasion
for the enemies of God to blas
phemy. The scandal aide however, not
always justifiable, is but one ex
treme of aa illustrative ease.
There Is yet another extreme of
a group of rose-water sentimen
talists, sob-sisters and spinel. ss
jelly-fishes in haman form, who
blink at immorality, defy crimin
als, and shed buckets full of croc
odile tears ever tha XXickmaas,
the Hauptmann's, the Dillinger's
the Sankeys, "machine gun" Kel
ly's, and last but not least, the
ministers, who deliberately turn
their backs on decency, and trek
to a tar country to associate with
swlae.
X have noticed that two or three
contributors 40 the "Safety Valve".
Indulged ia considerable palaver
about forgiveness, .practicing the
Golden Rule, by string tha erring
minister another chance, all of
which-is just so much piffle to me.
I am ot the opinion, that if there
was ever a miscarriage of justice
in the state of Oregon, the case to
which this article refers is one of
the rawest.
Where, may I ask. ts the mas
culinfty or justice to be seen ia
turning loose a crooked preacher,
who was caught red-handed In
crime, while dozens of other men
are serving long terms in the pen
itentiary for offences ot half the
turpitude of his? Who cares for a
two year sentence to the state pri
son with a parole pasted on tha
commitment papers? If other men
out there behind the grey walls
of the Oregon. basUla were net
gives a chaneo to ake right the
wrongs they perpetuated, why
should Oris preacher "be made the
exception?"
Not so long ago. tight here In
Salem, when men were men, snd
magistrates ate something but
mash, a protestant minister went
morally haywire.. Tha conference
to which he belonged forgave him
his sins, but threw him -- bodily
over the moon In ministers! dis
card, -whlla the federal " govern
ment took up the trail and sent
him to McNeil prison for a term
of -eight long years, t repeat here
that .those were the days when
men were men, and the women
were made of something mora
substantial that Lydia E. Pink
ham's "prnk pills for pale people".
ALLEN O. HESS :