The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-07-22
PATRIOTISM AND KEROSENE.
NASHUA, N. H., Patriot.)

NASHUA, N. H., Patriot)
In the current issue of McClure's
Magazine there is a nhort article I'm
the form of an editorial from the pen
of Miss Tarbell, purporting to be the
history OF the Standard Oil Company.
The communication is one OF pecul.
lar merit, because of the fact that II
lays bare without fear, some OF the
prevailing and still growing evils from
which the county Is suffering.
Because OF the writer's familiarity
with every detail OF the conditions up.
on which she touches, the facts may
be accepted as very faithfully por.
trayed. and the conclusions are such
as TO hurt a few, but will be accept.
able 10 the many.
I'VE chose the Standard OIL because
II is the standard great business con
cern, and we are laying before the
whole country the local disgrace of
particular cities because each Is the
tale of n thousand cities. In these two
series Is the one great story OF com.
mon conditlon-corruption =.
e.. We shall proceed with the
story OF the Standard oil and OF the
cities. and II we can
finally persuade our readers to recog
nize as traitors some OF the great men
among us who have succeeded by
means OF boodling and are excused be.
cause OF success We shall have
achieved our purpose. At any rate,
we shall try It. We propose when we
have got well acquainted with them
and their methods and excuses 10 turn
from the poor. miserable, petty trail
tors who sell out their country TO the
respectable leading men who buy II
from the bribed TO the bribers. A
briber Is a traitor. He may be n cap.
tain of industry. he may be United
States senator, he may be philan.
thropist II he has won his fortune
by bribery, the art of his success is
the undermining Of the institutions OF
his country He Is not an example 20
youth; = he Is a corrupter OF everything |
he touches. and everybody he In.
spires He is en- enemy OF the Repub |
lie. The only force that can stop him |
Is Patriotism
Il Is dificult to read these lines |
without a thrill They may perhaps |
leave cold the heart OF a corporation |
lawyer who finds In them merely the |
expression OF envy OF someone else's |
money-Mr. John ID. Rockafeller's for |
example--but we are much mistaken
II they will not strike responsive
chord in the hearts Of n majority Of
those who read them. For they at |
once enshrine truth. terrible truth.
an intolerable truth. and breathe the
spirit OF determination that II shall
not ever continue truth. And In di.
recting the public's attention TO them
We desire TO offer few remarks upon
the subject of law.
This IL Democratic country, which
means that all men are equal before
the law-equal In rights, equal In re-
sponsibllities. Our entire system OF
social organization is based on the as
sumption that all men respect the law
and being free are yet subject 10 Il.
There is no such thing as freedom
from law:-freedom consists In yolun.
tary subsection to law. Respect for
law does not mean merely obedience
thereto when Il cannot be broken with
impunity; II means more than that.
II means observance I'm the spirit as
well as in the letter II means determin.
alton that observance shall be gen.
eral, Il means recognition OF law as
the essence of liberty itself. Thus
obedience TO the law Is the citizens
first duty TO the state-the first duty
Of patriotism. Many people are apt to
forget that patriotism-like charity
begins at home
l.awlessness may be open or Il may
be disguised. The frightful lynchings
At Wilmington and elsewhere are
open leWleeFIess-ope assaults on 4
liberty itself. admitting Of no disguise,
no extenuation. All thinking men can
see whittier such things lead The
negroes In the south might say with
truth Hodie mihi-cras tibi-"it is
our turn today, tomorrow yours
and no one could deny them. The
spirit that lynches a negro today will {
ynch a white man tomorrow;-rapeI !
lr murder are the excuse today; tomor
row any excuse win serve. The law
swept from its foundation in one j
hing is adrift in all. But II is not
open lawlessness that is always the {
worst. for at least IL can. be said OF Z
I that II is recognized and condemned I
ly the majority OF men in their cool b
Judgment. The lawlessness OF cor. 4
uption is more destructive, first be s
,ause IL is more or less hidden; sec
md. because Il is widespread, and a
hird. because il Is apparently in no lr
wise repugnant 10 the moral sense of n