The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-06-22

| of MIND IN position OF SuCn 0efICdtt
trust as that of head of the Equitable
Society, is the practice of seeking fol
responsible public position men whose
ability and worth are guaged only by
their success in material life. 1t has
almost become proverb that the
wealth and influence which are neces-
sary in later days to constitute what
is called success imply in who pos
sess them certain Indifference to old
standards of morals and certain
shrewd contempt for law. 1t is the
win at any price man, the fellow VINO
will not permit any youthful sense OF
ethics. to becloud his vision from the
goal of results. the man who regards
statute intended to bar the way
merely as an Inconvenience to be
/ brushed aside or gone around-who
looks on prisons or convictions by
courts merely as the penalties provided
for fools,-who with more and more
certainty is coming to be sought out
by the powers of gold for the larger
positions of trust-places dedicated by
their nature to honor too frequently
prostituted to greed, 1t is not without
the realm of the probabilities that the
crowd of spectators who have in the
past used the Equitable as dumping
ground for securities and as weapon
for use on the exchanges of the coun-
try in tock-jobbing manipulations
Il
of their exposure to look to Mr.. Nor
ton to come to their aid by the very
reason of the fact that his successful
operation of a railroad in it's evasions
of the law would render him i'm The
future not too scrupulous when, in
the quiet after the storm. they hope to
resume their by-play with the funds
of the society contributed by the peo-
pie.
And the point the crux of the mat
alter lies in this that Mr.. Morton had
been honored by the President. lie
was Secretary of the Navy. To his
practice in law breaking, gained
through many years of up-to-dGte
nifty of a Cabinet position. He was
invested with two roles. To the pub
lie, was he the friend, the trusted iieu-
tenant of the President set on protect
ing the people from the d1mination of
the railroads TO the Equita bic
schemers squirming uuder the lime
light, he appeared 4 man who had
learned in the modern school of bust
ness not to draw too fine distinctions
against friends for the sake OF fancy
scruples in favor of the law. Mr.. Nor
ton was an admirable and, it may be
reasonably feared, shrewd selection
by the Equitable crowd. If the Presi-
dent had not honored him, if he did
not now load him with un-stinted
praise, Mr.. Morton could not have
been selected with the SNUG bow to
the dear public and its will which is
now assumed by those who are en-
gagged in Strengthening out" the scan
dial in the Equitable. If Mr.. Cleve-
land had not endorsed him as he did
the country would not now be in the
danger of learning to know Mr.. Nor
ton even better than it has before.
Mr.. Morton is in a sense a National
issue. To the people of North Caro-
lima and of every other State, his case
serves notice that the administration
does not propose to touch the rail-
roads at their one vital point of attack.
the personal liberty of the officers
who are responsible for the wrongs
they do. To every policy holders of
the Equitable he is an issue. ques-
ton mark full of continued distrust.
Mr. Roosevelt truly says that the
craftsmanship Of the Equitable direc-
tors is one of a public nature. In
that case it should be filled by man
of ability and sense and honesty as
stiff as a Spanish ruff. 1t is not a
place for twentieth century captains"
to whom subterfuge is an old ally and
violation of the law daily incident of
every campaign.