The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-09-09

world Il a large majority OF him were
wit hdrawn from q at the end OF rope;
and. u the other end Of the rope could
attach TO his own yardarm much good
would come Of the spectacle IN the deter
rent effect on the first mate. who wouid
observe and eventually succeed him. And
Il from the opposite yard-arm could also
depend this first mate. the moral lesson
on the fully as brutal. hut less finished
rkillful. magnetic. confident second mate
would be doubled. SECOND mate. taken
IN time and inteliigeutly treated. may
DC saved. II IS the older dogs who can
not learn new tricks,
But let no reasoning reader assume
from these structures that the American
shipmnster. the man who habitually roDs
and maitreats. and occasionally starves
and murders the unfortunate men com
mitted to his care by the law. u person-
ally hamable for his moral condition. He
g. a slave TO an iron-hard training which
has superseded his instincts. and allied
him closely to the noble Apache-who Is
''hcst when he Is dead" but is unable 80
appreciate q. lie Is product OF his en-
vironment as completely as are a certain
We'll known reforming clergymen and a
late police board president. both OF whom
once made themselves exceedingly trou-
hiesome 10 the citizens OF New York.
Bnt who VIII say that these two were not
honest and conscientious.
The shipmastersS Ethics.
And the American shipmaster IL con-
scientlous. Leaving aside his dishonest
eXtortion IN MS Stop cnest safes ami mis-
robbery OF sailors pay by driving them
N desert in foreign ports. he Is fairly
faithful TO the code OF ethics. From the
time Of his Nrst promotion he has af-
hicted his Interiors not because he is
fundamentally a savage. but because,
having been thus brutaiized himself. he
thinks IL necessary and right, because
ne has been thoroughly stepped In a sys-
tenn OF discipline which. though he does
not know Il. degradeA him IN the eyes o.
observing fellowmen-whieh would not fbe
tolerated IN any army. navy or workshop
in the world, and - rarely practiced In
the merchant ships Of monarchicai ma
sions. whose laws permit greater license
20 captains than do the laws OF America
But the laws Of America against as
Eauit. torture and manslaughser are not
enforced az they should he when u hap
pens that q sailor h the complainant or
prosecuting witness. They are not en-
forced. because. back OF the decision OF
Judges. iurlcs. consuls ana commission
ers there Is a strong public sentiment
not negative. but positive. which u noth-
ing more than a belief that the sailor Is
an ignorant. aggressive scoundrcl. VINO
should be Kept In check az any Cost Ahin
belief Is noa based upon knowledge or
che truth az given IN newspaper reports
Of friction NJ sea; for the newspapers
give little hut tho hare facts. and facts
alone are mol convincing. II Il based
unon n stronger educational influence
popular literature
Marrvat and Cooper dealt with conds,,
lions OF the eighteenth and first ihnit OF
the nineteenth centuries. and they paint
81 the sailor truthfully7a strong man
able 10 care for himself. W. Clark Rus
sell succeeded in the held. and for TWEEN
ty-ive years he held this field 10 him
self lie has been read widely. In Eng
land and America lie began when men
now active IN public life we're young men
forming opinions; when old men. stu ae-
tive. were dropping the conceptions OF me
sailor given them by Nierrynt ana cooper
and were receptive 60 new ONES. Win
slight technical knowledge Of the ses and
seamen. but gifted with an giraffe imss-
nation and wonderful power Of poetic o.
scriptlon this man produced mover atser
novel whose heroes were chivairic "fhetie
and passengers. and whose villains were
sailors-uutin0us devils. only Kept rom
murder and piracy by brute force ana the
acts OF Providence W. Clark Russell ma
done more 10 damn the merchant saiis
than has any other influence OF mol
ern times. and even should he devote
the remainder OF his life 20 neuNe'