Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1895-04-08
LET NO GUILTY MAN ESCAPE
a Strong Presentation OF the Case AInds
Against the Carnegie Steel Company.

n HtFonR presentation OF the Case Mnda
Against the Carnegie Steel Company.
1t is rather a general belief in this
country that if man commits q crime
he should be punished, and also that
tn punishment should fit the crime. or,
in other words, be commensurate with
it.
Moreover, we declare that some crimes
are much more criminal than others be-
cause their consequences are more far
reaching. If fellow steals q loaf Of
bread or a pocketbook, that is one thing,
but if he docs something which endan-
gers the good name or possibly the safe
ty of our federal government that is q
very different thing, and his treatment
should be different. He is worthy Of
nothing better than to be despised by
every self respecting man in the land
and should spend a goodly portion Of
his remaining days in that close seolu-
sion in which he will repent Of his sins
because that Is the only thing which
will enable him to pass his time com.
fortably.
Now, here are the huge steel works
of which Mr.. Carnegie is at the head.
1t has been swindling the government
for months and has done it deliberately
and with malice aforethought. It's guilt
has been established beyond a perad.
venture, and the subcommittee of the
naval house committee has caught 1t,
as it were, red handed. There is no room
to doubt that this company has been
palming off on the naval department
certain armor plates which are unfit to
be used on our war vessels and getting
for them the price Of the very best plates
that can be manufactured.
Mr.. Cleveland hesitated to believe
that charge when it was first made and
treated the whole matter with undue
leniency of Judgment Congress also hes
itated, for it was positively incredible
that a firm made up Of reputable gen
tlemen and doing work for a country
which they have loudly protested to love
and honor could by any possibility en-
danger that couutry's welfare by the
delivery of defective plates. But tho
facts were so broadly patent and back
ed by such good authority that the sub
ject had to be investigated. Listen,
therefore, to the verdict which these
careful experts have rendered. 1t reads
as follows:
"The servants of the Carnegie Stesl
company, whether with or without the
knowledge of the company, to increase
their gains deliberately continued for
many months to commit acts whose
natural and probable consequence would
be the sacrifice Of the lives Of our sea.
men In time of war, and with them
perhaps the dearest interests of the ma
tion. I"
Isn't that terrible arfaignhienti It
stamps every man engaged in this in.
famous proceeding as traitor. He has
sold his country to the enemy for few
paltry dollars. He has crippled our do
lenses in time Of war and done what he
could, and done it for hard cash, to
make our defeat possible in naval con-
fiict. He has endangered the lives OF
our brave seamen and given an enemy
such an advantage over us that no one
can reckon the result.
And where is Mr.. Carnegie all this
while? He has been talking eloquently
about his love for his adopted country
for many years. And we'll he may love
her, for he has made millions by the
opportunities which no other land on the
planet could offer in equal abundance.
But where is he? If he is not personal
ly to blame, if he is not in collusion
with the men engaged in these coward
ly misdeeds, why does he not come bold
ly to the front and do what he can to
remedy the rascality Of his subordinatesi
There is something mysterious and sus-
picious in the fact that he keeps him
self we'll in the background.
These are the facts. They are stern,
and they are hard. Now, IN such mat
ter there should be no mercy. The men
who are guilty should be found. their
guilt should be fastened upon them by
due process OF law, and then they
should be dealt with as every patriotic
community deals with traitors New