The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-20
rurx .nr AxAnrHIsrs.

one who defies the laws of the land. An anarchist is one who is opposed to all government. aud as consequence no law Is binding on him in his own view. We hear great deal said of anarchy in Russia, and we have disci- ples and teachers of that doctrine Tn the United States. as has been proven by the various crimes and assassina- tons that have taken place within the last decade
 But there are men who defy and set aside the law just as certainly as do those who throw bombs. We have many laws besides those which are designed to punish actual crime. One of those laws is designed to bring out evidence against those cnarged with or suspected of crime. There are laws intended to compel any citizen to at tend court and testify in any case, civil or criminal If he goes on the stand and refuses to testify the judge has the power to punish him for such refusal. There is H. H. Rogers who was summoned and placed on the stand.
 
 except such as he saw proper to any swer. If he had been poor man, without influence he would have gone to Jail for contempt As 1t was he didn't go to jail and didn't testify to any great extent. Is he not something of an anarchist?
 Then there is John D. Rockefeller, the many times millionaire. who is wanted in Missouri to testify before the Supreme Court of that State in cer- tain matters relating to the great oil corporations with which he is connect ed. Opinions may diner as to the man. ner in which he accumulated a fortune estimated at ono thousand million dols lars. Probably he mas not actually violated the laws of the land or his State in way that would make him criminal and might put him behind the bars, if tried and convicted.
 Probably Rockefeller has not actual ly stolen anything. or embezsied fnon- ey. or forged tho names of others, or committed any of the other actual crimes mentioned in the statutes. Nevertheless he has violated that high CT moral law which bids us that what soever ye would that men should do to you. do ye even so to them." He has not done all men as he wishes to be done by. but has grasped every op- portunity to add to his hoard, regard l less of the effect his operations might have>on others. One of the serious charges made by the Almighty against certain rulers of Israel was that Eye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor" as Isaiah phrases it. This Is a charge that John D., might be convicted on before any l impartial jury in the country. He has ground their faces and ground them in any other way that would help to make him the richest man on earth.
 But all this, 1t will be contended' does not make him an anarchist, ex- cept in spirit perhaps. Possibly not, but something else does. There have been some important investigations go- ing on In Missouri in connection with alleged violations of law by the Stand ard oil Company and other corpora tions in which Rockefeller Is so large Iy interested, and his evidence is con- sidered essential in the interests of justice. Knowing this, and that he was to be summoned before the courts as a witness. he disappeared some weeks ago as completely as If the earth has swallowed him." to use a trite ex- pression. If any one knew where he was the fact was not made public. Now 1t is made known, so we are told, that since February he mas been at his country home near Lakewood, N. J., and one correspondent tells us that the great oil magnate has been having "a world of fun" out of the situation. He has kept practically, in hiding, but gets the newspapers and has perfect telephone connection with the outside world. If he were an escaped criminal he could be extradited and carried back to Missouri but as he is merely want ed as d witness he is safe, because a subpoena issued by a Missouri court is not valid as long as he remains in New Jersey If he should go outside | that State the process-severs mig~e he able to serve a subpoena on him and then he could be carried to Mis- souri or lay himself liable for con tempt. As it is he has splendid home and can carry on his grinding opera tions as well as he could from nls | New York home.
 If this is not anarchy, why not? He not only refuses to aid the prosecution of an alleged crime but defies the law in his own person. He thus exhibits the spirit of anarchy as plainly as Johan Most ever did, and by his ex- ample says to the world that he cares no more for the law than he does for the rights of others, He would not throw a bomb at an objectionable per- son but would assassinate justice. He would not become an actual criminal but would shield those who are.
 Tn what does John D. Rockefeller diff fer from other anarchists, in spirit, at least?
 HE WAS RIGHT.
 No doubt Judge Parker finds much