The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-12-05
HOW PREJunIcR BLINDS

When one remembers the fact that
the Dick Fowler, having the Cairo
delegation aboard, drew alongside
the Mississippi on the presidential
river trip, and that Deals band
played Dixie" for the benefit of
President Roosevelt, who was on
deck. and that the president appear
ed pleased with the compliment and
salaIed the band. and then remem-
bexs that the president never prefer
red any charges against the Dick
Fowler; but that the charges were
preferred by an officer on the light
house fender Lilly. who did not com
municate with the president at all,
he wonders, how big newspaper
ike the New York Times could miss
the facts 50 far as il does in the fol-
lowing editorial, unless that news
paper was looking for an opportunity
20 abuse the president:
1t is with mingled emotions, hu-
miliatioh perhaps predominating
among them, says the New York
Times. that one notes the exonera-
ton by the United States steam
boat inspectors In the Memphis dis
trict OF the pilot against whom the
president made such vehement
charges while on his recent trip
down ths Mississippi. For the out
come Of the episode more than hints
at some inaccuracy, to say the least
of 1t, in the presidents judgment of
what happened on that exciting day,
and it will be taken as confirmation
Of their fears by those who think
him a little or much too prompt.
sometimes, in reaching conclusions
in matters concerning which his
knowledge is little less than COM
plete.
The president was sure that the
pilot Of the Dick Fowler had endan-
gered the lives of all those on the
presidential boat by approaching it
too closely, and he ordered an im-
mediate investigation. with such in
slant action of a punitive kind as
the law permitted. The charges were
brought in due form, and now the
verdict Of the competent authorities
Is that the officers and crew of the
Fowler were guiltless. This must be
accepted as final. though il is per
Missile to remember that the river
men have their own peculiar ideas
as to what constitutes danger, and
that in their testimony in defense Of
one Of their own number they would
be apt to extend the limits Of safety
at least as far as the meaning of the
word would allow
From the best account of what oc-
CURED hat we have seen, II seemed
probable that what the pilot OF the
Fowler really did was discourteous
rather than dangerous-that a. the
urgent request of his passengers.
mostly pittsburgers Of the sort more
noted for money than manners. he
pushed forward from the place as
signed to him in the water procession
and insisted on taking one whence
more could be seen and nearer the
center Of observation. according to
the authority presenting this theory,
the Fowler was handled with great
skill. and the impression that she
threatened the other boats with dis
astrous collision was doubtless due
to failure to appreciate the agility Of
these seemingly clumsy craft when
they are handled by experienced
pilots,
This explains the presidents ap-
prehensions and his anger. though,
of course, it does not excuse him for
expecting. If he did expect. that his
conviction as to what has been done
should be accepted as sufficient basis
for an instant conviction of the man
who had offended him. 1t was an
unfortunate incident from every
point OF view, and II will be most
regretted, perhaps. by those who are
not seeking eagerly for reasons TO
cfiticise the president.
---O-