The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-07-05
AN OBTUsE GENTLEMAN.

When John D. Rockefeller was found on Wednesday at the home of his son. in-law in Pitts1eld by the federal of- ficers who had been searching for him for more than two weeks he blandly remarked that he had no disposition to run away from the authorities; that he had been unable to determine what he was wanted for; now that the union between himself and the government was complete he hoped the United States deputy marshal would call and see him whenever he was in the neigh borhood of that officers wanderings. Mir Rockefeller is now on his way to Chicago to be examined at last in a court of inquiry.
 We are rather struck by this per fornance and by the obtuseness of our richest man In not knowing what the government wants from him in the way of information. We are also in1- pressed by the gentlemans conduct the moment he is actually corralled by the government sleuth. He explained at once that he had not the slightest idea what the government could want of an tnoffensive gentleman, who had not been near the offices of the Standard on company for eight years and who in consequence had only private pleas ures and diversions to prattle about. Not having any idea what the govern Tlent wanted he continued to move about in an unostentatious way until he could conceive what it was he was wanted for. Had he known, the infer enee is, he would have gladly have gone t1 Chicago, or to the ends of the earth, and saved his son-in-law from tres passing on the preserves which Pres- dent Hadley told his graduating stud eilts they should avoid as they would ! he plague. As a good Baptist he must -sr3-day be grieved at heart to know that his own son-in-law knew himself so little of why the government want ed his father-in-law as to tell a false- hood about that persons whereabouts. Unless Mr. Rockefeller reads hard on his trip to the west he will have to think of the punishment to be neted out to the son-in-law when he has found out what it is in his possession the government wants to find out. The longer he founders in this mire of mental confusion and obtuseness the more demoralized will the son-in-law become, who has presumably just talk en to telling untruths.
 With our limited experience in the enjoyment of millions we are as much at loss to know why MT. Rockefeller lodged about as he is at loss to know why the government wants him. We are even led to wonder if it is true af- ter all that the possession of vast wealth tends to exaggerate the inde- pendence of its owner and to convince him that, while ordinary folks should be pbedient to the slightest demand of the government, the multi-millionaire is more or less a law unto himself If is only a week ago that we were oblig- ed to comment on the obtuseness of E. III. Hartman in persisting in placing his motor boat where she did not be- long on the Thames river race course and in finally getting himself arrested. No doubt he saw with difficulty all the afternoon the use the government had for him We have not the slightest ob- jection to honestly acquired wealth, even when it sums up millions, but we cannot accustom ourselves to the state of mind which too often reveals itself as 8 guide for conduct when million aires want their own way. We have not forgotten the insurance magnates though we fear that the shining mag mates engaged in other walks of life are still ignorant of why a fuss should be made over them when they step too high. Nor have we forgotten that the tangled mess which has resulted as consequence of the introduction of the automobile is more due to insolent mil lionaires who have willingly paid the fines imposed for reckless driving and gone on again at the same pace, than to any other cause. There appears te be more or less general ignorance among them as to why government should concern itself with their inter- ests. Is there anything bigger than dollar? they sing in chorus.
 The Journal and Courier has not the slightest idea what the federal officials want of John D, Rockefeller and it is not at all unlikely that he is equally ignorant of their desires That has nothing to do with the case as it is outlined by the flight of MT. Rockefel-