Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1895-03-06
LET NO GUILTY MAN ESCAPE

A Strong Presentation of the Case Mad.
Against the Carnegie Steel Company.
1t is rather a general belief in this
country that If man commits a 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 loaf Of
bread or a pos textbook, that is one thing,
but If he does something which endan.
gers the gool name or possibly the safe.
ty OF our federal government that is a
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 goodly portion Of
his remaining days in that close seclu-
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 tho 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. Its guilt
has been established beyond a perad-
venture, and the subcommittee of the
naval house committee has caught Ii,
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~ef 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 firm made up of reputable gen.
tlemen and doing work for country
which they have loudly protested to love
and honor could by any possibility en-
danger that country'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
ton"
Isn't that terrible arraignmentl Ii
stamps every man engaged in this in
famous proceeding as traitor He has
sold his country to the enemy for n few
paltry dollars. He has crippled our do
fenses in time of war and done what he
could, and done il for hard cash. TO
make our defeat possible in naval con-
diot. 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 well he may love
her, for he has made millions by the
which no other land ON tho
planet could offer IN equal abundance
But where is hef II he il not personal
ly 10 blame. II he is not in cOllusion
with the men engaged in these coward
ly misdesds, why does he not come bold
~ 10 the front and do what lac oan 20
the rasoality Of his subordinatesf
There IL something mysterious and srs'
picious Ia the fact that he keeps him
s0lf well IN the background.
These aFe the facts They arc stern,
and they are hard Now, IN suoh q mat
tor there should be no mercy Tho men
who are guilty should be found, their
guilt should hs fastened upon them by
dus process Of law, aud then thoy
should be dealt with as every patriotic
deals with traitors New
York Evening Telegram