Chicago eagle., 1904-02-06

lishmcnts. Although the public prop
crly objects TO large salaries. ii has
never adopted the principle laid down
by woman who wrote an open letter
to the newspapers at the time hill
for raising the Governors salary was
, under discussion In the Legislature of
II certain state. Slp asked If the state
had found difficulty in getting men To
take the place ut the existing compcn.
sation. Until there was some trouble
on this score she saw no occasion for
Il change. In private life we rarely
hire the cheapest person we can get.
whether it he to whitcwash n fence
or to set Il broken leg. There are some
curious anomalies In government sal.
| aries. The subtreasiircr ut New York
has II larger salary than the treasurer
| in Washington: collectors of customs
| in the great cities receive more than
| the Secretary of the Treasury: import.
ant consuls more than the Secretary of
State. who usually selects them. Such
| facts as these emphasize the fact that
the government officer Is the servant
not Of his immediate superior, but of
the whole people.
~G~
The year 1904 Is yet young. and u
few new resolutions can he made now
and kept later about as well as If sol.
cinuly registered on the first day of
.Ja n,iary. Here are Il few dOn'ts for
ready reference taken from the BAY
City Tribune: Don't crack or crease
any New Year resolution after max.
ing 1t and registering ii us II solemn
| vow. Don't join the Amalganlatc ted
| Association of Local Knockers who
bump any spirit of enterprise aninm.
ting Others. Don't think the country
Is going to the dogs because your pO.
lltical notions are not accepted nor
your favOrite boss doomed. Don't
| wink at shirking or dishonesty simply
| because some personal friend is among
| the pollywOgs In the puddle. Don't
banker too hard for anything. What
you TO not want you will not miss IL II
| docs not come. Don't cat nor drink.
| Eating and drinking have been known
to cause indigestion. Don't sleep.
Those who never sleep never have the
| discomfort of being walked up too
| early. Don't wear clothes. They cost
money and people get along nicely
without them In Central Africa. Don't
| try to earn your bread by the sweat
of your tongue. Too many at 1t al.
ready. Don't pose as the man who
knows II all. Wise people always In.
vert that kind of estimate. Don't drib.
bic filth In your language. Nothing Is
nnsticr than II human mixture of sew.
age and sclf-cOnceit. Don't imagine
that people estimate your worth by the
number Of your words Parrots prate
but have more voice than brain. Don't
abuse your own town. Point out its
faults but sandwich u few of its vir.
tues between. Don't abuse other
towns. Running ncighbors down does
not build your own people up. Don't
act ny Il drag upon more progressive
people. You might he something bet.
ter than an air-brake. Don't scatter
scandal. nor retail malicious gossip.
nor pour any kind of poison into pcO.
pies ears. Don't get excited over
trihcs: your safety valves might give
way and leave you to your fate. Don't
lie. don't steal, don't sneak. don't snarl,
don't snort. don't snap. Don't stab.
don't stumble don't stink. don't fuss,
don't fall. don't fret. don't fray, don't
Hop, don't funk. don't be II fool.
| In the last analysis the lesson OF the
IroluOis Thcater fire In Chicago Is
this: Human life In our day il cheap.
Material things are more than men.
The managers Of the lrOquOis were not
sinners above nll others. \ few Chi.
cng0 thcatcrs were safer than this one.
Many of them were not. In any of
these playhOuses panic would likely
have brought on II calamity. The proof
IL to be found In the fact that the Chi.
cagO Mayor closed all thcaters until
such time ns the owners should provide
safety appliances In acOrdance with
law. And the situation In Chicago is
the situation In almost every city. Our
civillza,tiOn Is above the Aztec In this,
that we sacrifice human life incidental
~ nnd through neglect while the Az
tees offered up human beings delibcr-
ately. The loss Of human life In train
wrecks, In building operations, In field,
factory ana stores Ia less spectacular
thnn the Iroquois holocaust, but as In
human. Blood and flesh are less than
dividends. Take tho theater as un II.
lustration. The dollar mark IL over II
all. Art IL prOstituted to thrift. 4
play II gauged entirely by the box Of
flee receipts. Theoretically the drama
exists for the entertainment ana in
struction of the people. 1t exists IN
fact for the profit of the mana gers
What IL the remedy for the man-de
stroying commercialism of our modern
life? Public opinion must bc revital
lied and the public conscience must
bc aroused. The communal sense OF
right and wrong must be keener than
higher regard for humanity, NOR,
vital feeling of brotherhood. Let the
laws punish the vi0latOrs tO the limit
Compel II decent regard for the publ,
safety. But Deeper than law, bG
hind the law, below the law, must b,
the education of the public conscience
~SA
Attention Is frequently called 10 til,
" ldc distribution of the stock of Amer
| 4 ton In la A.,