WOMAN'S EDITION THE DALLES TIMES-MOUNTAINEER
Editorial tPage .
AVAR.
Nearly twenty-seven centuries have
elapsed since the voice of a divinely in
spired prophet was heard proclaiming,
"Men shall beat their swords into plow
shares and their spears into pruning
hooks; nation shall not lift sword
against nation, neither shall war be
longer learned." That voice has been
drowned in the red deluge of centuries
and that prophecy remains unfulfilled.
The desolation and destruction on the
soil of classic Greece, the homage of a
subject world for Alexander, the shak
ing of Europe from center to circum
ference can bear testimony to ' man's
inhumanity to man.'' The lowly Naza
rine came and preached ''Peace on
earth, good will toward men ;" but he
was given a crown thorns, was nailed to
a cross, and turmoil has never ceased.
Despite increased intellectual power
and refinement, despite the long con
tinned efforts of Christianity to remould
him the germ of strife planted in man
by so many generations of struggling
ancestry has not been exterminated ; it
has remained through all the ages, self
propagating, generating contagion and
matured by evil passion. Alas, for hu
manity ! the erring human heart may
still conceal the deceits of Esau, the
treachery of Judas or the cruelties of
Nero, and the pride, selfishness and de
sire for personal aggrandizemt and pre
ferment which rankle in the human
breast find their expression in the con
duct of human strife and contention
somewhat mitigated in its flow, but
reddened at intervals by human blood,
still sweeps onward and the day of uni
versal peaGe to which we have long
looked forward seems to be a mere
chimera of the brain.
From the time of that primitive con
flict when guilty terror and wringing
remorse a fratricide viewed his awful
deed, down to the time of our civil war,
has been determined principally by the
manner in which nations conduct their
warfare. Between the rude tomahawk
and scalping knife of the savage and the
gatling-gun and marine torpedo of the
civilized man there exist the same de
gree of difference as is perceived between
the degrees of civilization which they
represent. Strangely enough, carnage
has always appeared in the role of an
educator, has elevated the civilized man
above his erring brother who still lin
gers in the shades of savagery, has torn
the shackles from slaves, paved the path
of wisdom for free men, removed mighty
wrongs, until one bolder than others
exclaimed that "Carnage is God's
daughter," and a world of men though
shocked were silent.
Over eighteen million men trained to
arms are standing ready for battle in
Europe. Two antagonizing forces mo
nopolize the situation. In the center of
the continent stands Germany, with her
allies, Austria and Italy. On either
hand are France and Russia. The mem
bers of the Triple Alliance are interested
in holding their own territory, while
France longs for her old boundaries, and
Prussia is but waiting for a good oppor
tunity to seize Constantinople. Eng
land on account of maintaining her
supremacy in the Mediterranean is
drawn into much closer relations with
Italy while she is viewing with alarm
the encroachments of France in Africa
and is dreading the great influence of
Russia in Asia. Thus there are five
powers standing ready at a moment's
wrarning to clutch at each others throats,
to devour each other as remorselessly as
wild beasts are in the habit of devouring
their prey. Today war clouds are gath
ering heavily over America and Ameri
can statesmen are advocating war, are
going to exterminate Spain unless she
makes certain concessions, which it is
highly improbable that she will do. So
war is discussed by the fireside, advo
cated by the press, urged by the diplo
mat, sanctioned by the pulpit and is an
inevitable thing. A mighty wrong has
been committed and force of arms is the
only arbiter. International arbitration,
or peaceful settlement of difficulties, in
such cases as the present one cannot be
applied, and while the results of war
for this nation are clearly seen unless
Spain makes many concessions and re
lieves her suffering people, there is no
alternative. The civ of distress from
an oppressed people touches a sympa
thetic chord which vibrates throughout
our nation and the deliberate murder of
two hundred and fifty sailors demands
justice. Difficulties such as the present
are bound to arise as long as nations
exist. There was war yesterday, there
is war today, there will be war .through
out all tomorrows.
SYMPATHY WITH CUBA.
'Suffering," says Henry Ward Beeeh
er, "is a part of the divine idea and the
common bond of humanity." When
once met with, it remains an indestruct
ible force, only changing its form and
passing from pain into that sympathy
which being the outcome of suffering
forms a common bond which unites all
of humanity. That suffering tends to
make the whole world akin is seen in all
the calamities which have befallen man
kind. From individuals to communities,
communities to states and states to na
tions this is a divinely established law.
Today there is standing at our depots
train loads of food supplies ready to
traverse a continent and reach a foreign
people. In all afflictions to which na
tions are liable, so long as there are
neighboring people on the globe, so long
will the afflicted be assured of sympathy
and help.
The first lesson of life is one of vicar
ious suffering. When a man allows him
self to be led into crime, his moral
nature that feels the transgession, suf
fers. If the brain be overwrought the
body suffers, so one part of our being is
destined to pay another's penalty. It
is the law of social life that one man
suffers for another's benefit. Christ
obeyed this law in a nobler and grander
way and the world was regenerated. It
is a fact that where individuals or na
tions pass through a sad experience the
reward purchased by pain and distress
is a fuller life and higher development,
and these bring a sense of added strength:
the world can no more wish to return to
a narrower sympathy, than a painter or
a musician can wish to return to his
cruder manner.
Commerce has so perfected the union
of nations as to make of the world a neigh
borhood, and today we hear with fear
of a great pestilence, famine or war rag
ing across t-e continent for tomorrow the
calamity may reach us ; it may be brought
to us or, as in the case of. Cuba today,
through sympathy, we may seek it.
Were the dangers much greater than
seem imminent now it were utterly
impossible for a nation which has
passed through a struggle for liberty,
which in a few days will assemble its
people at the graves of the soldier heroes
to commemorate their deeds, to remain
quiet and unresponsive when a neigh
boring people, goaded to desperation,
were being down-trodden, starved and
murdered, in a similar struggle. That
keen sympathy which pervades the na
tion sweeps aside all thoughts of nation
al policy, and we boldly proclaim our
selves their allies and supporters. The
result of this remains to be seen, but be
it what it may, America is never going
to repent extending a helping hand
where it was so sorely needed.
We take pleasure in publishing the
following interesting letter from Alice
Moore McComas, of Los Angeles. Cal.,
regarding the recent Woman's conven
tion held in Portland :
To the Editor: Will you give a Cali
fornia woman a little corner in your
Woman's Edition, in which to express
her admiration for Oregon women?
It was my good fortune to be a guest
of the Second Biennial Congress of Ore
gon Women, and I am so delighted with
it that I want to give vent to my feel
ings on the subject.
Having attended women's congresses
ever since they were first inaugurated I
consider myself a fair judge of such
matters, and ,to say I was pleased and
surprised but faintly expresses it.
Never in any congress have I listened
to better prepared papers, the reading
of which in clear, strong voices would
serve as a splendid lesson to women of
older and, so-called more cultured com
munities. But papers were less fre
quent on this program than is usual on
such occasions ; many of the most inter
esting addresses being either committed
to memory or entirely extempore.
Where so many were fine it seems
unfair to specialize; but the addresses
of Madanies Governor Lord, Narcissa
White Kinney, W. H. (tames, Bronson
Salmon, Judge Ward and Sara Reed
were particularly tine.
The able, liberal and eloquent ad
dress of Hon. C. E. S. Wood, one of
Oregon's leading lawyers, was a telling
evidence that the most progressive and
intelligent men are interested in wo
man's advancement. Owing to illness
Mr. Wood could not appear, but Mrs.
Dunniway read his address with full
expression, and with justice to the hon
orable gentleman.
Too much cannot be said of Abigal
Scott Dunniway as a presiding officer.
Eminently popular among men as well
as women she seems, to me, the well
appointed leader of the woman move
ment on the Pacific coast. Through her
long years of leadership in the great
Northwest, she has made herself be
loved among the people, and particular
ly acceptable to the voters of her com
munity. As the voters are the most
important factor in our battle for "equal
rights to all and special privileges to
none" she is to be congratulated. She
was from the first to last in a most hap
py mood ; never allowing the interest to
flag. Her closing address, in which she
read with happy little incidents and
anecdotes interspersed letters from the
judges of the supreme court of Idaho;
letters from leading lawyers of Utah,
Tdaho, Wyoming and Colorado, express
ing their approval of and perfect satis
faction with equal sufferages in their
respective states, was the happiest
"hit" of the Congress. As she brought,
down the yellow-ribboned gavel, closing
this successful congress. Mrs. W. W.
Spalding went forward with a beautiful
floral tribute of yellow roses..
This called forth a round of applause
and in answer to a ringing call from
another lady in the house whose name
I did not get "Three cheers for Mrs.
Dunniway !" the cheers were given to
the echo.
I know of no more fitting close to this,
my tribute to the women of the congress,
than to append the following editorial
which appeared in the Portland Even
ing Telegram the day after the congress
closed.
We regret that lack of space forbids
our publishing this intereting editorial.
MAY DAY.
The observance of this once popular
day, the day for amusement and free
dom from care, is of very uncertain
origin. Ovid traced the origin to the
mother of Mercury, while other author
ity, equally good, pronounces the cele
bration and festivals of this day to be an
old Teutonic custom. Among the early
Romans the day was held sacred to
Apollo and on every day of the month
high festival was held, the ninth,
eleventh and thirteenth being observed
in memory of the dead, but on the first
day was held the greatest floral and
festal rites of which Chaucer speaks in
"Knights Tales:"
"Forth -goeth all the court, bothe
moste and leste, to feche the flowers
freshe, and branch and blome."
During the middle ages the month
was ushered in by popular merriment in
all European nations, but no connection
was held between these festivities and
the celebration or Roman festival of
Floralia which was held on the twenty
eighth of April. In England the"going
a-maying" which Chaucer mentioned
was a common recreation. Festivities
began early and the search for the May
flower, commonly known as the trailing
arbutus, was made while the dew was
on the ground. Doors and windows of
houses were gaily decorated and Ma)'
poles were erected and the prettiest girl
in the village was chosen queen of the
May. In Germany instead of a queen
was chosen a count of May, generally
the wittiest and most handsome youth.
The May day frolics consisted of satires
on life at court. It is a curious and in
teresting fact that this quaint old cus
tom, handed down through so many
centuries, entirely disappeared in Eng
land with the exodus of the Puritans.
In Denmark the day is still observed by
the peasants who rise early to see the
sun dance. In the Highlands it is
called Beltein day, fires are built and
ceremonies in reference to Baal, sun
worship, are held. There has never
been any regular observance of the day
in this country.
NOTE AND COMMENT.
A fire in a planing mill is no more or
less lurid than some of this spring's
hats.
Guatamala, Costa Rica and Nicara
gua can declare war, tight it out, and
get all done with it, while this country
is getting out the old gun and polishing
up its handle.
The press says that Secretary Kincaid
has been at Eugene nursing the grip.
In the face of the near future, the secre
tary wants to nurse it well, and run no
risk of losing it.
One of General Alger's late and fiery
speeches is, "What we do we should do
well." Certainly, general. You just
start to doing" and the people will see
to the well part of it.
Since Joaquin Miller's love for a min
ing camp couldn't thaw the Klondyke
frost this winter, he is going home to
California to stay. No more trying to
square the arctic circle for him.
Disenchantment Bay is the name of
an inlet on the Alaskan coast. It must
be better for a man to be disenchanted
on the coast than to wait for frost, cold
ami starvation to do it inland.
Sound the tocsin to the maidens of
America. Leap year will shortly die
out for a time. With judicious hustling
now, much may be done before the axe
falls.
"Then be not coy, hut use your time ;
And while ye may go marry :
For having lost but once your prime,
Ye may forever tarry.
The June campaign is coming on
apace, and speeches will soon be flying
through the air. The politicians who
have wheels in their heads will be known
by the spokes that come out of their
mouths.
The French aeronauts who are going
to seek Andree, are having a balloon
manufactured which in form resembles
a sausage. It is painful to observe that
the relief party can always sit down and
eat sausage.
A Madrid Sunday paper says "There
was no bull fight today." Just let
Madrid keep along her previous line of
behavior, and she will get a bull fight
that will compensate for this lost one.
John Bull himself may not disappoint
her.
Joseph Hoffman, the pianist, took a
most unfortunate bicycle ride, not long
since. He fell from his wheel, sprain
ing one wrist so badly that an engage
ment to play for some prominent New
Yorkers, whose fee for his performance
was to have been $1250, had to be can
celed. It isn't every young man that
can afford a $1250 sprain.
One hundred and thirty-five appren
tice boys have been transferred from
the school ship Essex to the different
vessels now fitting for possible action.
These boys, although all under the age
of 21 years, have served their time of
apprenticeship, and will, from this time,
do the work of seamen. Upon the vari
ous school ships where they receive their
training, order and discipline as rigid
as that observed in a standing army is
exercised, which begun and enforced as
it is, from the time for entering service
until they are assigned to real duty,
makes the obedient and efficient seamen
whose bravery and adherence to duty,
characterized the surviving heroes
of the Maine. What a legion of moth
ers, struggling to make their girls useful
women, would rise up and call Uncle
Sam blessed were he to institute some
training school for girls, whose work in
its more feminine way, is as necessary
to the country's comfort as is the service
given by the Jack-tars.
A woman inventor offers the govern
ment a tent pole made of aluminum.
Perhaps Spain could be persuaded to
adopt it with a view to the free coinage
of tent poles into pesestas.
WASCO LKTTKK.
To thk Editor: As I find on my
trips through the country that much
interest is manifested in our little town
of Wasco, more commonly known
throughout Eastern Oregon as the
Klon like, I thought a few words de
scriptive of the town, its inhabitants
ana chief iiui ma lmgiM i.ot be unin
teresting to j our readeis. For a new
town Wasco has had and is having a
phenomenal growth. Furnishing as it
does one of the most important wheat
center in tl e countrv, it needed onlv
the completion of i he railroad to boom
the town, and unlike most booms ours
shows no signs of diminishing.
Leaving the Columbia river at Biggs.
Oregon, the railroad of which we are so
justly proud, makes a gradual ascent
through a winding canyon whose sides
loom up one to two hundred feet. As
the train arrives at Wasco, the present
terminus, a glance around shows a busy
little pace; carpenters at work exca
vating and erecting new brick buildings
or painting the old wooden ones, while
in the distance is seen the remains of
the enormous wheat piles, that will
soon begin to grow again. Walking or
riding to higher ground, the entire
country is spread before you with its
gently rolling fields of wheat in various
stages of growth, and the different shades
of green exhibited, furnishing a coloring;
most beautiful, a picture most complete
and framed by lofty mountain ranges
Klickitat, Hood, Adams, Jefferson,
Ranier, Olympia and Simcoe to the
north and west and the Blue mountains
to the south ami east.
The people are a prosperous, healthy
and intelligent class with no knowledge
of what hard farm work means. You
have only to look upon one of their giant
harvesters at work to le confirmed in
this opinion. This big machine will
have forty horses attached and with six
men to guide it will cut, thresh and
sack ready for market forty acres per
day. What would a Mexican think of
that? The farmers own great tracts of
land, which is all under cultivation, and
with but few exceptions live upon it.
This fact is significant as it is a deplor
able truth that most of the land in Illin
ois and Iowa is owned by foreign capi
tal, which of course is unimproved as
renters will not spend energy and time
in improving land not their own.
Every few miles in our surrounding
country a church spire is seen and be
side it a school house, in which presides
a bright American girl. The school
elections are of general interest and the
women take an active part in all such
matters, and while we cannot claim all
the credit due, we are happy in the
possession of good schools and good
teachers, and it is a matter of great
pride with us that our young people are
fitted for college at an early age. An
other interesting feature is that we have
only one saloon in the county, the men
resisting all appeals made in the shape
of bribes and threats for the establish
ment of such places in Wasco and Moro.
I trust they will continue their good
work.
Mae Enwrioht.
To determine the effect of the vapors
of melted asphalt on plant life, experi
mei t-? have been made by Prof. Sorauer
with various plants, shrubs, etc., by
subjecting them for a few hours to the
action of the vajor. No immediate in
jury was noticeable, nut after a few days
changes took place which var'ed with
different plants. Horse chestnut trees
and rose bushes showed a shrinking of
the epidermis ; plants rich in tannin
acquired a brown color and coagulation
of cell contents took place ; others be
came white, probably from the filling
of the interior with air, through break
ing down of cell tissue. Sudd. Ap. Ztg.;
Phar. Era.
Important experiments dealiug with
a plague of locusts are reported from
South Africa. Mr. Edington, director
of the Bacteriological Instisute of the
Cape Town government, has succeeded
in destroying millions of insects by in
oculating a few and turning them loose.
He makes a sort of toxin by grinding
up the bodies of locusts which have
perished of disease. The resulting
powder is mixed with water and smeared
over the bodies of a few hundred locusts
which are released. The disease soon
spreads and the swarm all all perish.
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