Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-06-08
SPOTS IN CIVILIZATION.

There should be no reason to doubt
the ability OF the American people to
set the world an example In all thu.
which Is best In the civilization OF
which this century boasts and yet
sometimes the question whether ciyili-
cation itself is not more or less OF
failure forces itself upon ones mind
Not long ago a Chicago mob wrecked
a dispensary because a rumor had
gained currency TO the effect that the
medical men IN charge OF the institu-
ton We're stealing children and muir
dering them in the interest Of science.
II Is curious 70 watch the way such
evil reports obtain a hearing A boS
was temporarily misslng-an incident
not unusual TO boy llfe--and the story
was at once started that he had been
decoyed into the institution. 4 fellow
in the crowd then discovered that his
boy. too, was mlssing,and IN moment
a frenzied mob was gathered The
fury spread like fire in dry grass. The
police were summoned. but before their
arrival on the scene the building was
wrecked.
ST. Louis furnishes another instance
Of the wicked folly Of human beings
when breaking loose from reason and
following the guidance OF blind passion
There is strike on. A few days ago
a mob Of 1000 persons assaulted an
unprotected woman. tore her clothing
from her body and nearly killed her,
because she rode on street car belong.
ing 10 the company that Is the object
Of the animosity Of the strikers.
The experience Of the woman is oil
the more remarkable because in ;nic
country women are generally treated
with much consideration. She says as
soon as she left the ,ir size WIS ap-
preached by a young man. II or IS
years old, who abused her Tor ,idiLg
on the cars and told her she deserved
TO be treated as a scab. a large crowd
Of boys, men and women gathered.
They assaulted her with crlcs scab"
and vile names. She was knocked
down and beaten while the crowd tore
off her clothing and iee,el her Her
hat was thrown 10 the boys and torn
into shredS Her dress and undergar-
ments suffered the same fate. Her
pocketbook containing slj. was wreft-
ed from her grasp and stolen. When
the bruised and begrlned victim MN
aged 10 regain her feet she ran from
one house to another begging shelter.
but In vain, Men and women were
standing in the open doorwaye ,vaten-
Ing the scene, but hey refused to give
the woman a refuge. Finally. she
found a little dark allryway leading 10
the rear OF the house NJ 9lG-98 Allen
avenue She ran n this alcywav ana
down into a dark cellar whore she
sank into a corner hystegical from
fright.
Were this the story OF a missionary
lady who had yentured too far into the
interior Of China, or Thibet Il would
be perfectly clear; but when Il comes
from an American community where
Christianity civilization, and law are
supposed TO rule supreme. It Is dim
cult 20 understand, or TO reconcile with
our high aims and claims
This country has at sundry times
been the scenes Of acts Of brutality by
mobs 1t Is not easy to account Tor the
frenzy that In times past has demol-
ished the peaceful abodes Of Nor
mons" driven them from one place to
another; hunted them 20 behind the
prison walls aud the gates OF eternity.
But when In our own day American
common sense can be stunned by a silly
umor and American gallantry can
turn into abuse Of an unprotected girl.
there Is nothing fanaticlsm is not cap
able Of performing, Then # Is no Won
der that American SOL Is, In places,
sprinMed with the blood Of martyrs
But the question becomes a serious one,
whether our boasted civilization Is all
that Is claimed for q, Il has often been
said that IL but thin veneer. Il may
be that Il has worn OF In spots. and
that the entire piece needs looking after
and repair.