The Breckenridge news., 1906-02-21
FALSE SENTIMENT.

The highest possible development of
civilization is not mechanical, but
moral. 1t does not lie in the ingenious
adaptation of the forces OF nature to
men 8 needs it is not In the harvester
of the electric elevator. 1t could ex-
ist without the knowledge of the utili-
zation OF by products like coal tar. 1t
lies, in fact, in the heat of the people
them selves, and Its highest develop
ment may be expressed in the words
Respect for law.
We have short memories, but surely
not so short that we have forgotten
the horrors of the Slscum disaster. OF
the directors who did not direct, the
inspectors who did not inspect. and the
commanding officers who did not com
mand-a gang of scoundrels rs heart
less as ever risked the lives of their fel
low creatures tor tew.dirty dollars
only the captain of the boat has been
sent to Jail. His plea was that if he
did not break the law he would lose
his Job. He knew that rotton life
belts, absence OF fire drills, the incom-
petence of his crew, were all matters
which could be severely punished. His
plea, in fact, amounted to one of
guilty, with the excuse that other peo
pie We're worse than he.
And YET this plea seems to appeal to
some people. Talk of petition for
pardon is plentiful and seems to win
sympathy from otherwise sane news.
papers As the matter stands, the cap
tain of the Socum is the most valuable
object lesson men of his profession
could have placed before them. Two
blacks do not make white. If we can
not lay the other rascals by the heels
the more is the pity; but we are not
going to let one criminal escape because
we can not catch all criminals.
We get something of the same idea
at Annapolis. The naval cadet is told
that he must not haze the lower class
men, and that If he does he will be
dismissed, He gives his word Of honor
as an officer and a gentleman that he
will obey the rule offs the institution.
He breaks it anu he is dismissed Con-
gress forgets what the enforcement of
respect for law mean to men who will
have to administer 1t the mselves In
their future profession. 1t stultifies
the efforts made to secure absolutely
necessary discipline by reinstatng the
offenders.
At the bottom of all this there is a
false sentiment of pity. The pity is
always a surface indication, and never
extends to the real victims of tho evil
involved As Thomas Paine said to
Edmund Burke's romantic defense OF
Queen Marie Antoinette against those
who could also see French royalty pay
ing tair price for the sins of hund-
red generations, his pity was all for the
soiled plumage; never for the injured
bird. The real sufferers In the lnstarce
quoted are the people who travel by
excursion boats in the one case, or
the cadet who who honestly means to
qualify for the efficient service of his
country and Is entitled to be guarantee
ed the opportunity of doing So In the
other.
There is no question of the day
which means so mnch to Wall street.
Public credit, which is the breath of
it's life, is bound up in 1T. If we toll
crate from sentiments of pity an Off
cial in position of responsibility who
has shown his moral untitness for it,
we also are inflicting upon ourselves an
injury greater than any outside enemy
can offer Wall Straat JournaI