The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-15
RICH men AND RICHES.
Some Thoughts Suggested BY the
Recent Attempt IN Russell
Sage's Life.
The Danger the Wealthy Run
From Those Who Are
Insane.
Robbery aud Considered in Thelr
Relation to Affairs Of an Every
Day World.

=HA%E+& -
Providence seems, at times, to take
special care Of the newspapers. On Eatur-
day morning they were enabled, in addi-
tion to their usual assortment Of murders,
suicides, dsfalcntions, Opponents and di-
vorces, TO chronicle the sinking of a fleet
of canal boats in the Hudson river and the
drowning of their crews, a terrible collision
on the New York and New England rail
road, a horrible accident in St. Paul, by
which fifteen mon were crushed under a
falling wall, and, as q grand climax, the
explosion in Russell sage's office. have
the most interest in the dynamite affair.
both because 1t happened so near Wall
street and because II came opportunity to
furnish me with the topic for my present
discourse. The week, financially, had been
80 dull and uneventful that | was quite at
loss for q subject to write about, says
Matthew Marshall in the New York Sunday
Sun. Dec. 6. There had been no new fraud
discovered. no important failure, no panic,
and not even did tho Richmond Terminal
troubles present any specially notable fea-
lures. The attempt to assassinate Russell
Sage started in my mind atrain of thoughts.
which I will lay before my readers.
The insanity of the wretch who attempted
to assassinate Mr.. Sage and who succeeded
both in killing his secretary and in seri-
ously injurinR several other men, il con
clusivsly proved by the recklessness with
which he sacrificed his own life. He prob
ably had provided himself with the bomb
with which he effected the mischief more az
a means Of intimidation than with tho ma
tnred intention Of using it as he did, and he
exploded it upon a sudden mad impulse,
without calculating the results Of the act.
In some respects it is q matter of oongratu-
letion that he was killed. The county il
spared the expense Of his trial and the pub
lie an inevitable dissatisfaction at being
obliged, as it would have been, to let him
60 unpunished because he was morally ire
sponsible. That he met the fate designed
for his victim is felt to be a Just retribu-
ton.
But, though the would-be assassin in this
case has been r%ighteously punished and his
intended victim has escaped, the uncomfort-
able fact remains that the attempt was
made and may be repeated. both against
Mr.. Sage and against all other men who,
like him, enjoy the reputation Of being
rich. It is we'll understood that the posses
#, in addition, i Z Is to iny 70 yeV danger lane, TO to
life and limb. the, inconvenience Of it ia
greatly increased. We read'in history how.
during tho dark ages, rich Jews were tor
tRred by feudal barons. az Isaac OF York
was tortured by Front-de-Bosuf, to make
they pay ransom, and Greek and Sicilian
RACES upon modern millionaires, but in this
country, as yet, the crime has not gone be-
yond the stage of threats. The attack upon
Mr.. Sage marks q forward step in it's de-
~velopment, and tho insanity of his assailant
docs not take from the assault its weiehty
Significance.
The operations Of an insane mind, no
matter how apparently capricious and pur-
poseless they may be, are none the less a
connected chain of cause and effects, and,
like the symptoms of other diseases, are
only distortions of healthy processes. To
comprehend this We need but TO consider
our dreams. While we are dreaming every
thing that happens to US seems natural
and roper. and it is only when We awake
and think over 80 much of our imaginary
adventures as we can remember that va
perceive their absurdity. The difference
between mental life in dreaming and in
waking is that in dreaming our thoughts
run on uncontrolled by reason, whereas
when we are awake we think logically, and
correct our errors Of impression by what
We have learned from experience. Another
illustration may be drawn from the pro-
to think, no less than to walk and talk. 10
him, at first, the moon and the stars are
easy reaca, fire is only q pretty play
thing, and all solids and liquids, until he
has learned the contrary, are equally good
Tor TO-. 1000 q ana drink. In the same way he
his impulses to self qualification by
respect for the rights of others. In
insanity, az In dreams, these artificial checks
the minds activity are absent, and it
roams from one idea to another uncon-
Still, in themselves, the madman's
ideas are the same as those of q person of
mind, and he is insane only because
he does not combine them properly. They
are, as / have said, distorted and capricious.
they are net utterly unreal.
In dynamiter who attacked Mr.. Sage
had for his underlying impulse a purpose
Or of a railroad train wrecker. His insanity
in his not being able to overcome
his wicked impulse by the consideration OF
own safety and of the utter u~selessness
exploding his bomb before he had Sc
'ured tho plumber no sought, In a certain
Reason, no less than religion and morality,
teaches US that the qualification of our
1oslres at the expense of our fellow men is
- foolish as it ia wicked. The proverb,
hat ill-gotten gains never prosper, is con-
BY abundant experience. Still, 30
ong as q rascal goes about his business
With q due regard to prudence, it is not the
,nstom to say he is mad. It 10 only when, !
ike MI. Edward Field, he ia extraordina-
lily reckless, or, like Mr.. Sagc's assassin, he
sills himself, that he is treated as ire
|ponsible.
That robbery and fraud are thus com
monty regarded as no evidence Of insanity, ,
long ~ they are perpetrated with a
ational provision for the criminals per-
|onal safety and for his immunity from
punishment, ia rather a peril to the possea-
nan is protected in the enjoyment Of his