"T he Capital Journal" 1'IUPAV EVENING, December 17, 18j. CHARLES H. FISHEB. Editor and Manager Editorial Page of PUBLISHED EVERT EVENING EXCEPT SUNDAY, SALEM, OREGON, BY Capital Journal Ptg. Co., Inc. 1L S BARNES, CHAS. H. FISHEB, DOHA C. ANDRESEN, President Vice-President See. and Ireas. SUBSCRIPTION RATES Baily by carrier, per year Daily by mail, per year . .$5.00 Per month 45c 3.00 Per month aac FULL LEASED WIRE TELEGRAPH REPORT EASTERN REPRESENTATIVES New York Chicago Ward-Lewii-Williams Special Agoncy Harry R. Fisher Co. Tribune Building 30 N. Dearborn St. The Capital Journal carrier boys are instructed to put the papers on the DOrch. It the carrier does not do this, misses you, or neglects getting the caper to you on time, kindly phone the circulation manager, as this is the only ay -we can determine whother or not the carriers are foUowing instructions. Phone Main 81. IS IT IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT There was a peculiar and therefore interesting easeji before the supreme court yesterday, in wmcn uw imuy most interested, J. D. Swank, is asking the court to give him his liberty. It seems Swank had been deiendant in a suit before Judge McGinn, of Portland, in which the jury had awarded the plaintiff judgment against him i'or $525, and costs amounting to $28.25. Swank made affidavit that he did not have property of the value of $20 over the legal exemptions. Judge McGinn, however, reviewed the evidence, and believing Swank had property concealed for the purpose of defrauding his creditors ordered him imprisoned ift the Multnomah county jail. His attorneys filed a motion asking the release of the prisoner and this being denied they appealed to the supreme court. The case is of more than passing interest for Swank's attorneys take the position that he is being imprisoned for debt. This brings up the question as to whether when a man has sworn he has no property, he can be held in jail. If so, how long can he bo held, and in case he has told the truth and has no property will he have to stay in jail un til he gets some? If a judge can keep him in jail at all on such a showing can he not keep him there for life? Would not the proper remedy be for the parties to prove he had property concealed and then prosecute him for perjury? It may be suggested that the parties might not be able to prove this. In that case would not the judge be holding him in jail simply on suspicion? What the decision of the supreme court may be, it is certainly an unusual proceeding and one fraught with danger to the liberty of American citizens. Another feature of the case is that if Swank should be set free he would have no redress even though he had been held a prisoner for years, for he could have no action against the judge, as such, and as the parties to the suit did not ask for his imprisonment he would have no claim against them. At the best, or worst, it is a dangerous precedent A BILLION BUSHELS OF WHEAT clipped from, the Oregon City Enterprise: "From every section of the country, but principally from the northern and western states, come complaints of impaired rural mail service. In an effort to save the few thousands of "dollars to make up part of the deficit brought on by democratic tariff legislation, the postoffice department is cutting the service not only in cities but in rural dis tricts. The latest protest comes from Bristol county, Massachusetts, where mass meetings have been held to devise means of averting the destructive orders of the department. Residents of some towns find that under a recent order they must change their postoffice addresses, as they will henceforth reside on rural routes extending from cities other than those from which they have re ceived mail for many years. Until all their correspond ents learn of the changes, letters will go to the old ad dress and be remailed, with a day's delay, at the least." When you come to' think of it, isn't it absurd to try to make a national issue over some little local postal disturb ance, due to changing of systems, in Michigan, Texas, or anywhere else. Such are occurring frequently in this country and always have, and they are soon remedied. Strange that this political press bureau can stir up no issue of real national import! Salem druggists it is claimed will not sell any whiskey after the first of the year under any circumstances, and will handle alcohol with a difference and bashfulness hitherto unknown. The opinion of the attorney general is to the effect that if they sell alcohol, even though the party' purchasing it makes the affidavit required by the law in such cases, and then happens to get soused on it, the druggists will be liable for the misuse of the dope. The druggists very wisely refuse to become responsible for what another person may do when in the company of a jug of booze, for both the temptation and the liquor are strong, and man, especially man with a jug, is weak and liable to wabble from sobriety's straight and narrow path. A Galley o Fun! THE CORRECT LENGTH. Mrs. Dresser Do you thing this dress is long enough behind, JackT Mr. Dresser Plenty! Any mocrobt that can escape that isn't worth catok-lug. That the United States grew nearly a billion bushels of wheat this year is the estimate of the department of agriculture. That is some wheat surely, but the mind cannot grasp the amount oi it without some aid by which it can be put in more understandable form. As the Minnesota mystery is cleared up, the munition plots grown tiresome, and politics not yet demanding the good citizen sit up of nights to keep track of them; a few minutes spent in "speculating in wheat" may not prove unprofitable. A bushel standard measure contains 2150.42 cubic inches, and is just a trifle more than a cubic foot and one- Jilth, which we will use for our "speculating." A bushel of wheat would fill one foot and a fifth in length of a trough a foot wide and dee), and a billion bushels would fill such a trough for a distance of one billion two hundred million foot. Counting the distance around the earth as 25,000 miles this would be in feet, l.OOO.OOO. It follows then that the wheat crop of this country this year, one billion bushels, would fill such a box reaching clear around the earth nine times, or would fill a box nine feet wide and a foot deep for that distance. If this same crop was loaded into freight cars each holding I.H) tons or 1,000 bushels, and these cars were each 40 feet long, it would take a double track from San Francisco to New York to hold them, for they would reach in a single line, a distance of 7,575 miles. Made into five cent loaves of bread, it would rive 1,000 loaves to every person in the United States and leave enough over to feed all the Belgians and Serbians besides. Now that it has been decided that Smythe is not Bar tholomew, the Portland trunk murder mystery is as far from solution as it was when the body jyvas discovered. It is a remarkable coincidence however, that William Smythe, who was arrested on suspicion at Cheyenne, should have fitted the description of the supposed mur dered so closely. They looked alike, were the same age, weighed each about 220 pounds and each was a waiter by occupation. The license has been procured, the minister selected to perform the ceremony and the date of the wedding is tomorrow. That is all anyone knows about the president's and Mrs. Gait's wedding, but that is enough; for the honeymoon and where they will spend it is their own lit tle affair. One thing the women of the country are in terested in has been disclosed, and that is that the bride's age is given in the license as 4:. A large number of the county attorneys of the state met in the attorney general's office today to discuss with him and each other the enforcement of the prohibition law going into effect on the birth of the new year. Quite a number of sheriffs were also in attendance at the meeting. They will go home wiser, and perhaps make the balance of mankind better. Who knows; THE LUNATIC. I'leclsely what the trouble was eluded them at iirst. His costume was conventional; he seemed to be well-versed In all topics of the day, and in didac tic speech Announced his vtews as tho' he were the stonelet of the beach. In base-ball and hand ball and in foot ball and croquet - lie pointed out just what was what Ir no uncertain way.. For following the hounds he laid grea. stress on proper togs With eloquence dilated on the breeds of fancy dogs. recycling and lawn tennis and tho roped arena's lore Came tripping from his tongue until his tongue would wag no more; lint when it enme to yachting and to rowing and to polo, Io bobbed up quite serenely and re suined at once his solo. Out as they listened, breathless, for the climax quick it came! He'd never heard of Vardon and he quite despised the game! SEASONABLE PRECAUTION. Ilnnquo's ghost would not down. 'Who," whispered Macbeth uneasily, "is Hie party In the sheet?" Hut Lady Macbeth laughed at his fears, "That? Why, that's most like ly some gent who was afraid if ho or me to dinner In a clawhammer he'd lo mistaken for a waiter!" she re joined lightly. 5? The republican national press bureau, which is now furnishing the editorial matter for a majority of the G. O. T. newspapers of Oregon, sends out some very silly and trival stulV in many instances. Here is a sample LADD & BUSH, Bankers Established 1868 CAPITAL - ..... . . $500,000.00 Transact a General Banking Business Safety Deposit Boxes SAVINGS DEPARTMENT ' The mystery about the big steam freighter Minnesota resolved itself into nothing more serious than a lot oi rot ten boilers, coupled possibly with some equally rotten of ficials, who allowed her to go to sea in the condition she was in. Maybe the inspectors wanted to make Davy Jones a Christmas present. Oregonians need not worry about the rather excessive rains of the past six weeks. It will be dry enough after the first of the year. Ripplin$j(2hqTOs SENSE- AND SENTIMENT "This babe," the stern physician said, courageously, "were better dead; for life to it will be a curse, and to its parents nomething worse. It hasn't brains wherewith to think, its frame has every mortal kink; and suffering and shame and woe would be its heritage, I know. Therefore, I shall not try to save this misfit infant from the grave." You'd think we'd all applaud the doc, for putting up this line of talk; but lo, the sentimentalists, whose thought machines have maudlin twists, throw dornicks at his bulging brow, and chase him to the timber now. The sob squad rises in its wrath, con signs the doctor to the broth. "Far better let an infant grow, all kind3 o ill and pain to know, to struggle through this vale of tears, with sight less eyes and flopping ears, with stunted mind and palsied frame, than interfere with nature's game." Forgetting, as they rant and rear, the doctor didn't interfere. Why persecute the dauntless doc? Why not improve the human stock? We are improving cows and hogs and sheep and hens, and even dogs, but any sort of runt will do, if it is human stock, say you. Perhaps, a dozen ages hence, we'll cultivate some common sense. RARE. Willis He is the most wonderful man I know. C Mils Indeed. How so? Willis Before he got his machine he promised the usual number of peo ple that ho would take them Tiding, and ho actually kept his word with all of them! mm THE BIB FJ3ASSE FROM CREAM OF TARTAR S3H Lamar Tooze Was One of Twenty To Go With Ford Peace Party (Kuaene Daily Guard.) Lnninr Tooze, the University of Oio gon delegate to the Ford pence mission, was chosen as one of twenty represen tatives which sailed on the Frederick the Kighth, the second steamed which cnrriel members of the pence mission. Jonie of those who had been invited were left behind. This information was received in Eu gene today by Leslie, brother of La inhr, who wrote on hoard the Frederick the Kighth. According to the letter, Mr. Tooze experienced considerable difficulty in obtaining his passport for tho second ship. Jlr. Toozo said he arrived in Wash ington, L. C, at exactly 4 o'clock, the day previous to sailing, lie hurried up to the secretary of state's office whica is supposed to close at 4, but which that day, due to excessive business, was open at 4:10 when Jlr. Tooze ar rived. He was told he must have two photo graphs of himself before he could be given a passport. He had none. The office was due to close at any time. In searching throng'.) his belongings he found a picture of his twin brother, Leslie, but did not use it ns he feared some government official in Europe might notice that his hair was parted on the opposite side than the picture. Otherwise tho two pictures wero prac tically identinl. He rushed down tho street, called a motor car and told his troubles to the driver. Tho driver knew where ho could get two pictures made in twenty minutes' time. To this plnee Lamar lmstened. Congressman W, ('. ITawley, of Ore gon, was arranging other details for Mr. Tooze in the secretary of state's olt'i'o, so when he returned, twenty minutes later with two tin types of himself, he was given the passport. The letter was written ,nist as Mr. Tooze was passing the statue of liber ty in tho Now York harbor. It was brought back to New York by tho tug; which towed the Frederick the Kightli out of the harbor. Mr. Tooze said in his letter that Muck, the author of "1 Didn't Hnise My Hoy to Be a Soldier," although in vited bv Mr. Ford to make the trip, when tho final selection was made, was rejected. Mr. Tooze was one of the twenty who were selected. On the same boat with Mr. Toozo is Emil Huria, editor of the University of Washington Daily, aud representing that institution. Tell your neighbor of the sat- isfaction of reading the Cap- ltal Journal. Prune- - Loganberry Combination Boz for a Christmas gift Or a paper wrapped sealed 10 lb. box of our fancy PHEASANT PERFECTION PRUNES You can't beat it for an appropriate seasonable gift to your eastern friends. While ine box lasts it will speak to them every dav about Salem, nrmron See display m Roth Grocery Co.'s win- "ow, or at our otfice... Thousands of thorn are going, order yours today. Willamette Valley Prune Association 1 X aJJ HOW IT HAPPENED. 'r" First Citizen I hat attended der belli Iral meetings of bot' parties for dor past ten yearB. Second Citizen Ah; You like to hear both sides? First Citizen Neln! I pelong to piuss pand! ill VILLAINOUS. fhe btirled her face In her hands. Put the villain, so far from being af fected by the sight, could Jfst horri bly. "If she buried It In the garden she couldn't UIb it up o easily!" he cachinnated. . LITERAL. "Pop, tell me aorno conundrums,' "Conundrums? Why, I don't know any conundrums, my son." "Oh, yes, you do! I heard mother tell Aunt Mary the other day that you keep her guessing most of the time." NO WONDER. Porlor- Von are considerably under wciRht, sir. Whnt have you been do Inc? 1'Kilent Nothing, Ttut ! am a re tired grocer, Doc. Christmas Specials Rostein & Greenbaum 27-inch small plaid Silks, regular $1.00 a yard Christmas Special 75c a Yard $2.73 Silk Petticoats Christmas Special ' $225 Umbrellas, new styles Five Christmas Specials at $2.00, $1.75 $1.50, $1.25 and $1.00 Christmas Handkerchiefs, a fine assortment, all linen, at 50c. 35c. 25c and 15c Each Ladies' Fur Top Felt Slippers, assorted colors and blacks, at 90c Pair Children's Red Felt Slippers 75c Pair Ladies' Fancy White Aprons 25c Up Ladies' P. Centemeri Kid Gloves 240-246 Commercial Street