The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-12-21
THE TRAGEDY OF GREED.

Scarcely have we turned from one
appalling mine horror when another
follows upon Its heels. That we may
pay some proper regard to the canons
of decency in the final disposition of
what we offer in the way of human
sacrifice 500 collins are ordered in one
week; and almost in the next week
comes another saturnalia of death with
its hundreds of victims and a renewal
of its wholesale demands upon the un-
dertaker. But the other day it was an
explosion in a West Virginia mine,
burying and burning human beings by
the hundreds, wrenching the heart
strings of other hundreds and ieaving
as an aftermath of the Iveenest sorrow
humanity can experience, poverty
and hardship and degradation. the sum
of which it will never be within NOR
tai ken TO compute But yesterday the
story was repeated in Pennsylvania.
And SO, for years past and for years
10 come, so far as existing conditions
viii serve prophecy, we have had and
will have one chapter after another
of this continued mining tragedy.
The underlying theme of this terrible
story is greed-greed that is con-
sciehoeless, cynical. wicked-that feeds
upon the flesh and blood of sturdy. res
olute manhood. and reckons it's tri-
umEhs upon the tears and bitter an
sulsh of women and the blasted lives
of orphaned children. 1t is a cruel lie
10 say that these mine disasters are
chargeable to an inscrutable and una
Voldabie fate-to designate them as
acts Of Providence is hypocrit
ical blasphemy. There is no other
word which is the definition and sum-
mary Of responsibility in this black
record of death, save greed. SAYS the
Telegram.
In the field of practical mining, men
with millions see opportunity for the
rapid requirement of other millions:
and the possession of other millions is
the one engrossing purpose of the hus;-
ness. The mining capitalist knows very
well that the occupation of the nm
foreground miner is dangerous one
at the best. He is bound to reckon with
mat 1act IN a certain measure; and
he does reckon with it because valua
ole property interests are at stake
Ihere must be apparent manifestation
of regard for humal life because cond;-
lions imperatively demand it. Yet. that
mountaineering greed, Under the bust
ness plea of economy, makes the Ella
ment OF humanity one of secondary,
consideration is a matter of conviction
10 every man who does not blindlv ig-
more the facts
10 De sure the mining disaster in
ours the loss of mining pronarty Dr..
with mines in operation profit is tae
hrst deslderatum-profit and nrof7t
ana greater profit The more the nrof,t
the sooner can other mines he 40
quired and opened and onara+aa ,,;,,o.
could be made safer. they could he te,-
Ter timbered and better yentilataa ora
better sateguarded in score of wa,,s
This Wo1id mean the minimum ris,, 90
life and in the long run the n,oro
economical working of the mine. br+
II would not mean such rapid aecnmu-
lation Of fabulous wealth. In this latte.
there IS the reckoning of affiuence oe
power. of gratiffed ambition. of tbe 40
sire to have more and more. and NOR
until. the passion fer having becomes
unsuitable. reckless. ruthlesslv cruo,
If the mine is paying Handsomely,
though there be danger which couls ho
aFerted, what of it? Nothing Tho
management is spurred on to make >.
pay more. Danger is not disaster and
disaster may never occur What is the
use Of surrendering a certainty in
money for an uncertainty in the
premise Of evil consequences that may
never be realized? Suddenly and