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FRIDAY MORNING. Los Angeles Herald THOMAS F. GIBBON,' rrraidrm and Editor "■ Entered as second clam matter at the postofflce In Los Angeles. ■ . OI.DKST MORNING TAPER IN IA)» ANOEIJEB. Founded October 2. 1878. Thirty-eighth Year. Chamber of Commerce Bonding. _^______ Fhonea —Sunset Main 1001); Horn. 10311. The only Democrat!!) paper in Southern California receiving full Associated Press reports. RATES OF SUBSCRIPTION WITH BUN'I>AY MAGAZINE Dally, by mall or carrier, a month ♦ •'• Tally, by null or carrier, three months 1-°" Dally, by mall or carrier, six months '•"» Dally, by mall or carrier, one year .■ " ••"" Sunday Herald, one year .-._ •*>' Postage free United States ami .Mexico: eluewhpro postage afldfif. ~A file of The I>oa Angeles Herald «an be Men at the office « our Ktißllsh representatives. Messrs. E. and J. Hardy & Co., *v. II and 32 Fleet street, London, England, free of charge, an.l that firm will be glad to r«<elve news, subscriptions and advertisements on our behalf. __„ !:—:■ - ■ ' —- Population of Los Angeles 319,198 ( There Is no well doing, no God-like doing 1, that ; \ is not patient doing, —Timothy Tltcomb. / SAN FRANCISCO THE PLACE THE New York Evening Post, which is the exponent of everything that is staid and stable in the American metropolis, has been conducting an inquiry into the respective merits of Is'cw Orleans and San Francisco as to their fit nebs for holding the Panama-Pacific exposition in 1915. Arguments have been submitted by Gov ernor Gillett of California and Governor Sanders of Louisiana. Califomians have reason to he proud of the showing made by their state, and the reading between the lines is that the Pacific slope is gaining ground every day and will have the backing of the real element in New York that counts for success. It appears to be generally conceded that the Panama canal will make the Pacific coast the new neighbor of the seaports of the Atlantic, and that the national celebration that shall mark the join ing of the world's two greatest highways of com merce should be held either in New York or in that city of the Pacific coast which makes the strongest bid for it. New York stands aside in deference to her newer neighbors, and while New Orleans is regarded as an important way station, it cannot be classed as the big port at the end of the line. Therefore New York and the east are coming to the opinion that the big fair should be held at the front gate on the Pacific and not in the back yard on the gulf of Mexico. Governor Gillett's claims for California made to the New York Post set forth the claims of San Francisco for the privelege and the advantages that would accrue to the nation by holding the fair there, while Governor Sanders merely put in the plea that San Francisco was difficult of access to the dwellers of the cast. Mr. David Rich, a Californian residing in New York, made a contribution setting forth why a trip to the Pacific coast was a liberal education to any American, and telling of the vast benefits that would accrue to the nation from pilgrimages from the east to the San Francisco fair. lie portrayed the revelation of national resources it would be to the visitor and told of the many who would linger to develop the vast natural wealth of the west to the resultant good of the whole nation. In fact, Mr. Rich struck the keynote of the claims of the Pacific coast in this statement: "California is a part of the earth which every traveler, the world over, holds the wish to see and which disappoints no one who has come tinder the spell of its scenic beauty. It is a land which, once visited, one must needs linger in, and from which few depart without a longing to see it once more." THE SPEAKERSHIP AND POPULARITY HRHE baptismal name of Congressman Clark, who hails from the state of mules and malt •* beverages is Champ, not Chump, li there had been any doubt about this it was dispelled yesterday when the definite announcement was made that the speaker, in the coming session of congress, will not appoint house committees, that duty being intrusted to the house itself. Mr. Clark, of course, expects to occupy the speaker's chair, and yet, far from objecting to the proposed change, he is said to have originated the idea him self. Fie has, it seems, no desire to sit upon refrac tory house members until they yell "Uncle." Neither does he care to be known as "C*ar." "Uncle" he places in the category of undesirable citizenship and the title of "Czar" he regards as a broken reed. Whereas Cannonisrn was an impor tant issue in the recent election, 1912 will discover the issue of Clarkism -till born, if the gentleman from Missouri has his way about it, and he has been accustomed to having his own way much of his life. Mr. Clark has small precedent but ample rea son for his determination to curtail the power oi the n« *t speaker, even though he himself be the man. (neat power entail; great responsibility and involvi ii( essarily the loss of friends and of po litical prestige, not to saj popularity. Champ Clark wants to be popular, lie also wants to be speaker. His immediate ambition is to combine the two, something which has not been accom plished heretofore. The late Thomas Brackcti Reed, whose habitat was Maine and who was a presidential poten tiality until he became sp< :hc house, taught Mr. ( lark a lesson. >i luing his studies, he realized, as does everybody else for that matter, lhai ' is now thoroughly discredited befon ■ Going bad: to the long-ago days of a former Democratic . he encoun tered the ngtin of Crisp—Crisp of Georgia—who, though be fared better than either of the others, still found i leakership a stumbling block rathei than an aid to further political preferment. And so Mr. Clark, taking counsel with his ocratic friends, decided that the time had runic to permil tin lowei house o\ <s to conduct its own business in its own way, without dictation from its own presiding officer, As speaker he will be suave, diplomatic, « tty, per even politit bui never autocratic; and when the Democrats in l(>12 begin to cast aroi nd for a is qtiitr likely thai Missouri as well as Ohio, New York and New Jersey will displa htnuig rod, a now and shiii) rod with all modern improvement • and with its political wires < stending from Washington westward. Editorial Page if 'She Henald THE FRANKING PRIVILEGE ONE of the reforms urged by President Taft in his' recent message that will meet with general public approval is his demand for supervision of the franking privilege enjoyed by .senators and congressmen. No president hereto fore has had the temerity to interfere with this one iif the emoluments, but then this congress can hardly be said to be made up of Taft's "personal friends." Despite that, it is a reform that long has been needed and has imposed a burden of many millions upon the American people. The public in the end always has had to bear the burden of public ex travagances, ft aU reverts and results in a deeper dip into the purse of the taxpayers. There alwa has been a postal deficit and it always has been blamed on everything bul the franking privilege of the national legislators and the other branches oi government officialdom. Last year the deficit was cut from $17,000,000 to $7,000,000. In the years before it was greater than that. All sorts ox regulations have been devised to limit the volume of pound rate matter sent as sec ond class, but this action by the president is the tn>! blow at the most flagrant abuse in the postal service. It has been said that some congressmen even; had their laundry sent home under an official frank, and it is a matter of record that one nation al representative in the middle west actually sent] a cow as mail matter under his personal frank. That cow cost the people of the country her weight in registered letters, but it is not on record that "Bossy" gave any more or better milk as a result of that distinction. That and other abuses have had their effect on the general public in lack of needed mail carrying facilities. The district here in the California hills that needed rural free delivery had to wait because there were no funds available; the man in the big city had to wait an hour longer for his mail be cause the funds intended to give a more perfect service had been diverted from their purpose. , The Taft plan includes the substitution of va rious official stamps in place of the franks and a general supervision of the class of matter Uiat is forwarded under them. The abuse of the franking privilege is not by any means confined to congressmen sending out campaign literature and the like. A big part of '• is perpetrated by the government departments. It is justly argued that there is likely to be an abuse of anything for which the user does not have to pay out his own cash. There is no doubt that much of the mail matter sent out by;the gov ernmental departments would be held up as use less if ready money had to be spent for the send ing. ~ The field of reform that President Taft has in vaded should work for the public good, and he (plight to receive the aid of every citizen, even though he be an official enjoying the franking privilege. The amount of telegraphic matter that is com ing out of Washington to prove how prosperous is the nation is gratifying—to the telegraph com panies. But it somehow fails to convince that Washington is in any measure responsible for the prosperity. Tables of statistics cannot produce prosperity, and that and the tariff wall is the chief Washington output at present. Crop reports cen ter at Washington, it is true, but even these don't make prosperity. As for the bumper crops them selves, which alone are responsible for the con fidently prosperous tone of the nation, these are raised in other localities than Washington, D. C. Import duties are special privileges. Wages are regulated by the number of men seeking em ployment and the number of men seeking employ ment rests upon the accessibility of free soil to the centers of population. Tariff has no more re lation to wages than the flowers that bloom in the spring. When the producers and consumers of the land finally discover these elemental truths, the tariff will drop fast enough. And it isn't like ly to drop very much until they do. The engagement is announced of Miss Vivian Gould, second daughter of George J. Gould of New York, to John Graham Hope Horsley Beresford, fifth Baron Decies, who is said in the dispatches to be a crack polo player and keenly interested in hunting and racing. Surely this should be a firm foundation on which to build marital happiness. The federal supreme court's definition of a trust a- :i "continuing offense" is deserving of thought ful consideration, no doubt, but old fashioned folk will cling to the more graphic definition that a trust is "a bunch of stock surrounded by water." Census returns show agriculture in Indiana to be languishing, which moves the San Antonio Daily Express to the observation that the state will soon be the biggest thing in the world in the way of a library. Jason Bonner and "his wife of Newcastle, Tnd., arc the parents of twenty-eight children, twenty one of whom are living. If this thing keeps up the rabbit will have to scurry around and get a reputation. Down in New Orleans they are still talking about holding a Panama exposition. Up-state a little ways, in the interior, there are said to be in dividuals who don't know yet that the war is over. Biloxi, Miss., has elected a Socialist to a seat in (he city council. It seems the Milwaukee brew is becoming popular in the south. Taft's 40.000-word message to congress misses by only a few words breaking all recent records for presidential loquacity. Tn 'consonance" with his name, Zbvszsko, the Polish wrestler, threw his opponent in New York- Tuesday night. Many a boy„lured by city lights, writes "back to the farm" for the price of coffee and sinkers. Y<>?, this is the Christmas season, even if our visitors from the east can't believe it. \ liulc leu imposed government would make room for more self-L'Overnment. Andrew Carnegie Gives $10,000,000 to the Peace Fund 1 v ; t^K^yj^ Secretary of War Dickinson Issues an Alarming Statement Urging Reorganization of Army and Naval Forces THE HERALD'S PUBLIC LETTER BOX OFFER TO MR, BLANCO Editor Herald: If E. P. Blanco, who wrote to the Letter Box concerning his ] effort to get Esperanto literature, ■will send his address to me at 719 Tale street I will be glad to send him free, for the good of the cause, a little book on the subject that may be helpful to him. VAL STONE. Los Angeles, Cal. ( OBJECTS TO NEW PARK RULE Editor Herald: So now we can ac count for the paucity of seats in Cen tral park. It is from a laudable but misguided desire on the part of the i park commission to prevent the good citizens of our city from Inflicting upon themselves bodily harm by Jaw-break ing- and rib-squeezing. It is too late, gentlemen. The com mission should have been In the only original park— garden—and have squelched the thing at the beginning. You cannot dam a river at its mouth. Try something easy, judge. K. Los Angeles, Cal. COMMENT ON TAFT'S ACTIONS Editor Herald: In promoting Asso ciate Justice White to the exalted po sition of chief Justice of the supreme court of the United States, President | Taft has administered a well merited , rebuke to the Socialist party, as they are bitterly opposed to the Catholic church, though it is the best friend of i the working man. Before the election I of Taft the Socialist paper, the Appeal to Reason, davoted an entire edition to abuse of him for his course in the Philippine islands, but of course could not defeat him, and all he had done there was to stand up for the rights of the church and see that It had Justice. All honor to Justice White and Presi dent Taft! • THOS. O'GKADY. Monrovia, Cal. v INCOMPETENCY IS BLAMED Editor Herald: The Letter BOX seems to be devoted ever since its in ception to voicing the discontent of the incompetent. The world has ever had its quota of Incompetents. Many of them would have made good if not encouraged in voicing and dwelling on their incompeteney. In our society if the failures instead of trying to ape ' the successful in dress, manners and mode of living would realize their po sition and live accordingly they might some day be In the ranks of the much maligned successful. Today's Herald contains the confession of one of those Incompetents, which is a confession of double incompetence. Unable to so regulate her domestic affairs to (it her income, she rails against a firm which is nut accountable for her troubles. She fan feed, clothe and shelter her family In respectability on $55 a month if she feeds and shelters them in a way which is in keeping with her sta tion In life, which will be respectable, as respectability does not mean having all those things which are the prerog atives of the successful. J. F. O'BRIEN. Los Angeles, CaV. COMMENDS OPEN FORUM Editor Herald: I am delighted with the editorial In the Sunday morning edition entitled "Edited by the Peo ple." The stand you have taken in supplying the people an open forum in the Public Letter Box is highly commendable. It is indeed refreshing in these days of cant and hypocrisy, plutocracy and mammonism to have one large dally newspaper in the An gel City run for the people and not for the plunderers and grafters of the pub lic weal. The one great fact that tran scends all others in its supreme power for good is the dissemination of knowl edge throughout the length and breadth of the race. And the people the world over are looking to a free and untram ineled press for this knowledge. The democracy of the truth is all powerful in the domain of the soul that Is in revolt. And where are the think ing souls that are not In revolt? Not many, certainly, can lie found in Cali fornia. , ■ Therefore it is with much satisfac tion that 1 express my appreciation to the liberal Los Angeles Herald. And In the near future I shall avail myself of your liberal offer and express some of the thought* that are uppermost in my mind. FREMONT TOWERS. Pasadena. Cal. PARK MORALS Editor Herald: Your editorial in Tuesday's Herald on park morals was timely. I hereby ask the mayor and city council of Los Angeles to publicly state whether or not the license Issued to so-called disreputable women does or does not by the terms of the contract prohibit these women from entering the public parks. Los Angeles recognizes these women by putting the legal stamp of approval on their vocation, stamped, sealed and signed by the "Honorable Mayor" and "Respectable Board of Aldermen.' A licensed female prostitute has as much rignt in Central park as an un licensed male prostitute or a licensed saloon keeper. I commend the following lines of Walt Whitman to our protectors of morals of the people of Los Angeles: "I think I could live with the birds and beasts; they are so placid and contented." "Not one is respectable or unhappy on the whole earth." OLGA B. CAREY. Pasadena, Cal. ADVICE ON MATRIMONY Editor Herald: Some one wrote: i "Advice is unnecessary. A wise man don't need it and a fool won't take it." But those who give advice should be ' experienced or well grounded on the I subject advoaated or the argument 1 produced proves valueless. Any farmer j can tell a man how to plow, but to ! learn the art the student must take the handles and hike across the field. Now what does the advice of an old bachelor or whatever that means —amount to to those on the verge of matrimony? Having never married or raised children what do they know about it? Huh! Their advice is most ly alloy. When we hear from a father who has bounced a baby boy on his knee; while the little tot clung on his be whiskered face with its candy, sticky lingers and lisped da-da between yanks; then we are getting advice of worth from the threshold of ex perience. When God (love) tolls the couple to follow life's path together then It's for the proper papers and preacher. The money question should cause no fear or hesitation. We know one couple who had not the means to pay lor a preacher when they made the start. Now they are able to hire two or three preachers. Pasadena, Cal. G. R. LUNA. SEGREGATING THE SEXES Editor Herald: How badly people must want prohibition in this city nowadays! In regard to segregating the Hexes in Central park, I submit the following to Secretary Herbert of our local park commission: Why not compel wives to wear their hair a certain way when with hubby or other male relatives, another way when ■ with a male friend or alone; have a special style of hair dressing for wid- i ows and another for maidens. Let the men be tagged with badges. On one we'll put "I. A. 8.," meaning "I'm a bachelor"; on another "1. W. M. W.," or "I'm with my wife"; and still an- j other might be "I. A. W.," or "I'm a widower." Or still again, let every man and wife get their pictures "took" with a special license from the police or park commission, and every man or woman caught Bitting with any other of the opposite »ex than the lawful marital partner, fine him or her a dollar a min ute by heck! Fine more if without badges; and a pretty female more than an ugly one. Or lot every married man and woman be numbered, convict style, and "W262" would mean "wife 262," and signify she belonged to "H262," or "husband 262," while the widows and widowers, maidens and single men might go un numbered, simply have the letter "W" for widow or widower, "M" for maiden and "B" for bachelor. Or, if card index system seems too cumbersome, hire a special public tat tooer who will letter us according to character. I'm willing to be branded "B" for the public good. These are only a few suggestions, Mr Park Commissioner, of a great number that might bo gJven. iELoR Los Aneelca. Cal. AID FOR JOHN FOSTER Editor Herald: Just a word to help, If possible, our neighbor, John Foster. If Book authority 1 cannot give assur ance. I am doubtful If he can be helped now (during this present life). Information I have (Book authority) Is very satisfactory to the writer. When reason begins to return we naturally inquire, how came we In this condi tion? Sickness, sorrow, pain and death shared alike by all. The Book says, "By one man sin and death entered into the world, and death the result."—Rom. 5, 12. Here Is the satisfaction, or the word to pierce the dark, "As through Adam all die, even so through Christ all shall live."—l Cor.: 15, 22. If any one has anything better to offer, please let us have it. W. P. TEMPLE. Los Angeles, Cal. NON-EXISTENCE NOT FEARFUL Editor Herald: Answering Mr. Fos ter's letter in your Letter Box of Sun day, December 11, if he cares to have the opinion of one in the same condi tion as himself he may have it for what it is worth. As Mr. Edison says, the probabilities point strongly against the idea of im mortality rather than toward it. So be it. Each one of us has had his share of what this world has to offer of joy or sorrow, work or pleasure, and should be able to say, at the last, "It is enough." Although we as individuals pass away, the species will survive, the race will not perish. To whomsoever asks what good will that do me as an individual, the reply may be made: "Is not the craving for immortality by the individual an ex aggeration of the importance of his personality?" Is It Impossible, then, to reconcile oneself to non-existence after death? Is the idea of non-existence af ter death any more terrifying than the i<lea of non-existence before birth? Is it possible to imagine an immortality into which we would take our person alities, without which we would not be we, and our memories, without which we could not remember what we had been ? Non-axlltenoe after death need not really concern us, because where we are it is not, and where It is we are not. PENREUR. Sierra Madre. Cal. A POEM WORTH WHILE OLD ST. DAVID'S AT RADNOR HENRY W. LONGFELLOW What an imase of peace and rest Is thlH little church among Its graves! All is so quiot; the troubled breast, The wounded spirit, the heart oppressed. Here may find the repose it craves. > See how tho ivy climbs and expands Over this humble hermitage. And seems to caress with "a little hands The rough, gray stones, as a child that stands Caressing the wrinkled cheeks of age! Tou cross the threshold; and dim and «naU Is the space that serves for the Shepherd s Fold. The narrow aisle, the bare, white wall; The pews, and the pulpit quaint apd tall. Whisper and cay: "Alus, we are old. Herbert's chapel at Bemerton Hardly more spacious i» than Him, But Poet and Pastor, blent In one, Clothed with a splendor, as of the sun, That lowly and holy edlnce. It ia not the wall of stone without That makes the building small or great, But the soul's light shining round about, And the faith that overromoth doubt. And the lovo that stronger is than hate. Were I a pilgrim in search of peace. Were I a pastor of Holy Church, More than a bishop's dioceso Should I prize this place of rest, and release From farther longing and farther search. H*re would I stay, and let the world With its distant thunder roar and roil, Storms do not rend tho rhII that la furled; Nor like a dead leal, towed and whirled In an ■■ildy «t wln.l. M the anrlmrod B»ul. DECEMBER 16. 1910. WITH THE PLAYERS Mine. Surah Bernhardt, in New York last night, gave the first American performance of "La Heffii." an Italian drama, In four acts by Ram Benelll, I translated Into French verso by Jean I Rlqhepln, and which whs originally | produced in ' Mine. Bernhardt's own theater in Paris last March. The sceno In Florence In the fifteenth century. In Illumination of the title it is ex plained that "la beffa" was a practi cal Joko or "dirty trick" which tho victim had tho right to remember and revenge. The perpetration of such Jokes was a favorite pastime In Flor ence during' the period depleted by the drama. In Paris "La Bcffa" was a triumph, and a brilliant New York au dience last night applauded Mmo. Bern-, hardt and her supporting players lib erally. • ' *. '* Ruth St. Denis is again dancing in New York, this time the dances of , Kgypt, which are given In three parta ' under the title* "Prayer to the Nilo ' Gods," "The Tnmboura" and "Tho Mystery of Isls." A largo dancing cho rus appears In her support. • • • Henri Bernstein's new play. Into which correspondents nay ho has "dis tilled a delicate sensuality," is in re hearsal at the Comedle Francalse, With M. Le Bargy and Mme. Bartet in tho dominant roles. • • • Harry Lauder Is reported to have lost $25,000 of his earnings In this coun try through Investments in American mining stocks. Rather careless for a Scot, is It not? ... r K. H. Sothern and Julia Marlowo have annnounced that their annual Shakespearean revival next season will be "King Lear." ♦ »♦ WHAT OTHERS SAY ESCAPED FUTURE TERRORS A Chicago fan died in a fit of anger because he could not witness one of the championship gam<>B. A man who is that much of a fan ought to havo been spared to enjoy the inspiring win ter "dope" which the sporting editors will soon begin turning out.—Jollet Herald. WILLIAM WORKED ROTH WATB "There Is plenty of proof that' Shakespeare did not write the works credited to him," Bays a late Investi gator. To be sure, and plenty of proof that he did.—Louisville Courier-Journal. NOW CHAMPING HIS BITS A St. Louis man has just cut his third set of teeth. Must be mighty dis couraging after having learned to en- Joy cereals.— Philadelphia Inquirer. COMPARISON IN CRAZES The St. Louis man who Is going to drink ten quarts of beer a day for thirty days makes the qual-a-day man look like a sane citizen.—Denver Re publican. AN ALL-AROUND WINNER Jacob Rlls says Roosevelt will win in the end. The colonel also is likely to win in the middle, on the bottom, the top and both sides. QUITE A DELUOE St. Louis went "wet" by 121,126. It was a veritable souse.—Springfield State Register. A HEARTY LAUGH Beln« th« day's best Jok« from th» n»wi exchange!. A St. Louis prelate is credited with this story, told by him at a recent dinner: The head of one of the big trusts arrived at the gate of heaven, and, as usual, found St. Peter on watch there. Rather pompously, the trust magnate said: "Pardon, is this heaven?" "It is," said St. Peter, "step right into the elevator." After waiting for what seemed a long time the trust president said: "I beg your pardon, but when does this elevator go up?" "It doesn't go up," said the saint. "It goes down as soon as I get a load."