The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-24
False Ideas of Honor.

Is there danger of revival of that old
and false code of social ethics that
prompted its holders to resort to the duel
and to go "heeled" for an emergency In
days gone by-days which it was hoped
had their end when anti-dueling laws
were enacted-it was the custom to resent
imputations and reflections upon one
mans character by another with pistols
at so many PAGES, and men who neglected
or declined thus to defend their honor"
were held to be devoid of honor
In these modern times, character and
honor depend upon a mans own life
and conduct; not upon what another may
say of him. So long as the individual
maintains his character spotless he has
in his possession a more powerful weapon
than pistol with which to defend his
reputation-the weapon of truth Armed
with truth and backed up by common
sense, he is well nigh invulnerable. The
public have long since ceased to estimate
mans worth or integrity by the facil-
ity and precision with which he may be
able to shoot, and no man has ever proved
that he was gentleman by killing the
man who said he was not one.
Despite the change of public sentiment on
these finely drawn questions of honor"
we have within the past few days had
two examples of comparatively promi-
nenent men carrying the principle of de-
Tending their honor with violence to ex-
tremes. In one case, that of Lawyer
Stoll, one of the attorneys who defended
Mr.. Breckenridge, the outcome has
so far been nothing but public ridicule of
the hot-headed KentucKian. In the
Bragg Mattel case, in Alabama, reported
IN our dispatches, the outcome was a
double tragedy
In neither instance was there provoca-
ton that demanded bloodshed. Stoll was
offended by a remark made during his
summing up by Judge Wilson The Judge
apologized later, but Stoll declined to ac-
cept the apology and wrote Wilson a let
ter that invited a duel Like a sensible
man, Wilson paid no attention to it, The
charge" Wilson made against Stoll in
his speech was that Stoll had in his
possession for some time a letter that
Wilson believed to be forgery. If Stoll
| had killed Wilson in duel, would it have
proved the letter not a forgery?
In the Alabama case one of the ytung
men told the other that no gentleman
would act as he had acted. Later thew
went behind a curtain and shot each
other. Is the character of either party
indicated by the fact that the man ac-
cused of ungentlemanly conduct is dead
and his accuser probably fatally wounded?
The cut in Storage rates by the great
| ocean steamers between New York and
European ports from S26 to SIS, is matter
of interest to the whole country. The cut,
it is only natural to suppose, will largely
increase the dow of immigration to our
shores. And it is very evident, from the
number Of strikes and Coxey armies in
various parts of the country, that as
much immigration of the cheap class is
coming in now, under the higher rate, as
the country can take care of. Another
| consideration is, the class of Storage i'm
migrants will be lowered by the cut rate
! The temptation of cheapness will attract
to America numbers who are not capable
OF lettering their condition even here,
and who may become charges upon the
country or additions to the troublesome
/
ready made its temperance in Europe,
and in the headlong competition for pas
sengers that will be stimulated among the
shipping companies by the rate-cuttiug.
it is quite likely that proper precautions
will be neglected.
Representative Straus, of New York.
proposes, in bill recently introduced, to
assist congressman and secretaries Of de-
partments TO an ideal life by removing them
from the ofice-seekers. His bill forbids
applicants for Office from personally i'm
portuning congressman. allowing them to
make applications only by letter. and pro-
vides that the recommendations Of CON
gressmen to the departments shall be lin
tied to written statement