East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-02-01
NEW YORK LETTER

New York, Jan. S1.-From the
atrical standpoint, the second Thaw
trial has been miserable faiiure'
In vain the sensational press agents
of the yellow press have tried 10
arouse us 10 enthusiasm. Not day
has passed without its hitherto un-
published portrait of Evelyn Nesoit
Thaw," accompanied by columns oil
balderdash regarding Thaw's mental
condition, the heroism of his mother
and lost virtue of his beau-u-tifui
wife. In spite of this, we, the peo-
pie. have been but mildly Interested
and some have been known to in
ouire, 'Who is this Thaw person, any
way?"
Do not think, for moment, that
VIC New Workers have become sud
denly smitten of an ingrowing i'm
morality. It is only that we do not
care for warmed-over drama and
second hand emotion The Thaw
case had its successful run" in New
York last year. The second trial
should have been produced ION the
road"
In my opinion the most instructive
phase of the trial has been the eX-
posure of the ignorance of the allen
lists. Processing TO be able to give
an authoritative opinion as to the
soundness or unsoundness of Harry
Thaw's mind, they have been unable
TO define the word mind" They do
not know whether it is an entity or
a condition. thing-in-itself or an
attitude. And, for that matter, who
does?
A Zola might find in the Thaw
trial the material for another novel
on heredity. As the primitive cave
man of the twentieth century, man
"led by old desires and ancient
hates. and stained by crimes of many
vanished years, and pushed by hands
that long ago were dust" Thaw now
appears to the eyes of the observing.
Retire ''Panic" Certificates.
The arrival of the first day of
February finds New York in a bet
ter financial condition than it has
been in for several months. Prac-
tically all of the clearing house GER
tificates, issued during the recent
panic, have been cancelled. The is
sue of this emergency money reach
ed total value of $97,000,000, but
of this amount only $74.000,000 was
put into actual use. Immediately
after the financial clouds had began
to roll by, the clearing house began
the movement for the retirement Of
the certificates and the work has now
been satisfactorily completed.
The success of this plan in tiding
the banks over a period of depres-
sion is being widely commented on
in financial circles and is universal
ly commended. That it saved many
otherwise sound institutions from
serious embarrassment, which might
have resulted from the sudden and
continued requirement of cash pay
ments during the height of the pan
ic, cannot be doubted.
Celebrate in Chinatown.
Down in the vicinity Of Mott and
Pell streets today there is an abiding
odor of more or less sweet incense
and smell of as many burning joss
sticks. The Chinese residents of the
metropolis are celebrating their New
Year. The festivities are a trifle be-
lated, from an American standpoint,
but none the less enthusiastic. AL
though the orientals are many thou
they are almost to a man the devoted
subjects of Tai Hsu and true as steel
to the religion of their ancestors. The
celebration of the celestials will con-
tinue through several days, and. in
consequence, the laundry of many
Mclean men will go unwashed.
Ungallant Columbia Men.
In New York there is an institu-
tion of learning known as Columbia
university There have been times
when this fact has been the source
of pride, but the present is not such
a case. Considering the actions OF
the Columbia students, we should
much rather, for our own reputation,
have Columbia in Hoboken or Kala-
mazoo This shame is due to the
ungallant decision of the members OF
the Columbia Debating union, wh1
have refused to meet Cornell because
its debating team has a girl in It's
ranks. Miss Elizabeth Cook, a pret-
ty coed of the Ithaca institution, Il
the one who has given offense to the
high and mighty Columbia debaters
President Woodbury. of the Columbia
Debating union gives FMS reason TO-
refusing to meet Miss Cook.
1T is manifestly unfair for 4 wo-
man to take part, because 1t will be
impossible to refpte her arguments
in rebuttal without apologlzing be-
fore. The judges will be partial to
her, and If she takes part the debate
will be lost. She cannot be treated
the same as man in rebuttal."
In other words, the Columbia men
fear that Miss Cook will insist upon
the feminine perogative OF the last
word, and so they are pouting and
refuse to play.
II an institution which has abol-
ished football produces such molly
coddles as these, let football. be re-