Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1904-10-08


steamship companies are the govern.
mcnts Of European nations and u sys-
tematic and gigantic conspiracy IL be.
, ing worked against the welfare Of the
United States and its people. Not only
this, but of the millions of immigrants
this year II very large per cent are the
dupes and victims Of the conspiracy.
The political. social and Industrial In.
stitutions of the United States are
mcnaced and the problem Is one most
worthy of attention by all classes in
this country.
George KEENAN,. an American travel.
err, writing In II recent number of the
Outlook. describes an Interview which
he has had with Russian prisoners of
war In Japan. lie inquired Of them
whether they had taken up arms
against the Japanese because they
hated the MikadO's subjects and con.
sitercd them bad people. The Rus.
slams, according to Mr.. KEENAN,. gave
this answer: We are fighting the
Japanese because the Car ordered us
to do so. We have no III will against
the Japanese; for all we know they
may be very good people" This Is one
Of the striking anomalies of war. \
man goes out to kill other men not be-.
cause he individually has grievance
against them. but because the supreme
authority bids him slay fcllow.creat.
ures who have never wrOngra him. 1t
IL strange how Il man can work himself
up to the point Of Strengthening other
men when his interest IL wholly i'm
personal. 1t Is equally remarkable that
he should be willing to Imperi his own
life In u quarrel to which he IL not n
party. Some day the nbsurdity of the
thing will dawn even upon the unt,I.
tored Russian. In the case Of the Turk
for the Car can he understood. The
Russians and the Turks have been enc.
mics for centuries. There Is a bitter
racial and religious antngOnism be.
tween them. ana hatred II fed by pro.
pinquity. But there IL no racial nor
religious feeling against the Japs. ana
I'm lighting them the Russians are fight.
ing only the Cars battles, not their
own. The Car Is taking no risks. nor,
for that matter. IL the MikadO. The
men who declare war are usually too
prudent to 20 to the front.
They say that, no matter how big a
human being becomes. there Is u streak
Of meanncss In him somewhere. and
sooner or later 1t will show. Russell
Sage has lost Il million dollars at u clip
and viewed the disaster philosophical,
~. But he will haggle over the price
OF an apple and allow himself to be
annoyed by trivial things that really
should not concern him. Hetty Green,
with her millions. Is credited with NOV.
ing out of comfortable office because
her rent was advanced ~ q month
She has done even smaller things than
that In a financial way. Mrs. jack
Gardner. the rich leader of society In
Boston, contested most bitterly Il sui,
Of John Williams, cOl0red. for $3.50
She maintained that he was only en-.
titled to $15 for shoveling snow from
her sidewalk. She lost the suit. An
Ohio man. with nearly million dollars
to his credit and with no possibility OF
even spending his income. built a brick
block six Inches inside his lot line AM,
remarked: "SOme day somebody will
want to use my wall. and the price OF
that slX-inch strip Of land will surprise
him." 1t did. The man who wanted
to build adjoining was surprised that
wealthy man should descend to such
II petty trick In order to make few
unnecessary dollars. lie refused to bt
bled. ana to-day two tine blocks stand
side by side. and between them there l.
u space Of six inches tn measure greed
and smallness Of mind. All of which
goes to prove that the possession OF
money seldom brOadens a mind, but
does emphasize eccentrlcities. The rich
man may be able to purchase tOlera tlOr
for his peculiarities, but he cannot buy
respect when his natural meanness Il
apparent. Humanity may remember
Sage as an able hnancier. 1t will re
member his misery manner OF Twins
longer. All the good acts of the maj
who placed his building six inches
from the lot line have not sufilced tt
wipe out the memory Of that one
sneaking, little. contemplate business
act. Men are only men. after all.
Newspapers are blamed, often justly
for the detail with which they report
crime and other evil deeds. With the
weak and the shallow. not0rlety II
fame, and in order to attain 1t they
initiate the deeds Of desperad0es. Bul
AZ the DaDers are to be censured fol