The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-05-27

Oil or its allied interests justice for
the people. And although Aldrich'S
skillful work has wrought to public
interests greater damage in an hour
than the cheaper efforts of Depew
and Burton could accomplish in a
lifetime, Aldrich moves in select cir
cles where Burton is actually ostra-
cised and where Depew's welcome is
not quite so effusive as of yore.
If the door of hope" in the poll
teal chamber is to be barred to the
Daniels who has stolen mules and
Tepented, it SHOULD not be open to
the Aldrichs who Cypress a patient
people and remain defiant to the end.
There are many men in every state
prison who are far less dangerous 10
society and who if free would be OF
far more service to the world than
some of the men who have been hon
ored with high Office and some. of the
men who are admitted to the tea
parties of the 400" We often hear
that those who belong to the Grimm
al classes" must be restrained for the
benefit of society. True, but what
are the criminal classes?" Com
monty we mean the man who, raised
in criminal environment, takes to
robbery and other forms If crime,
and gives no recognition to the rights
OF property ~ &c Dnrs0~c- I'D 49,
regard for the laws of God and the
statutes or man. Such as these should
OF course be reStra ned But what
of 4he better educated man who,
reared in wealth or grown to it early
during his manhood years. hungers
for more gold. and in the effort to &C
cumulate violates laws human ana
divine, becomes blind to the picture
of children made naked by his greed
and deaf to the cries OF women made
hungry by his crimes? What OF
these men? Do they not properly bs,
long to the criminal class? Should
they not be restrained as the COM
mon thief is restrained and visited
with the same unTelenting cOndem-
nation which society now gives to the
lowly criminal?
In his book The Jungle" Upton
Sinclair tells awful stories of the
packing of diseased meats for con-
sumption among the American peo-
pie BY other investigators these
stories are substantially corroborated
as, for instance. in The Worlo's Work
for May. in which Thomas H. Mckee
and Doctors Jacques and Hedges print
the result of their Investigations in
Paekingtown.
The packers recently escaped con-
viction on a criminal charge by re-
sorting to a technicality, and they
are to-day openly violating the laws
of the land. Are they entitled to-
move in circles from which the COM
mon malefactor is barred? Do they
not in fact belong TO the front rank
of the criminal classes?
In an eastern city several years ago
efforts were made to purify the water
supply. The accomplishment OF these
efforts was defeated by politica
bosses who were anxious to fill their
own pockets with ill-gOtten gains. For
a period of eighteen months this all
important work was delayed and
during that period 1900 men, women
and children diei from drinking i'm
pure water. They were the victims
of greed. Do the men responsible for
this crime belong TO the. Criminal
classes?"
1t is true that for the protection Of
society crime in every degree should
be vigorously condemned. But the
world will grow better in proportion
to the charity shown not for persist !