East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-11-10

To the Editor or the East Oregonlan'
II makes ones heart leap with JOY
to see this noble patriot, Judge Low
ell, arise miles above the thieving po-
litical debauchiers who seem SO de-
termmed to defeat the express will
Of the people in the election of Gov
ernor Chamberlain for United states
senator. This political duplcity that
Is trying to raise its head in oregon
reminds one Of ten thousand snakes
sQuirming in a slough of filth, each
one trying to justify his existence.
Those who have read Tolstoy's
Resurrection Will remember that
Prince Nekludoff while visiting his
aunt betrayed the sweet little peas
ant girl. Maslova Years pass, and
the memory of this act becomes un-
bearable and after a series of dramat-
ic events, he decided at last TO seek
her out and marry her. She had be-
come a prostitute and he eventually
finds her in prison accused of muir
der When he comes to speak with
her he expects to find her ashamed
of her method of life. To his aston
ishment he finds that far from be-
ing ashamed she is actually proud of
it.
And, Tolstoi explains, everybody in
order to be able to act has to consid-
er his occupation important and good.
1t is usually imagined that a thief,
spy, a prostitute, acknowledging
his or her position as evil. is ashamed
of it, but the contrary is true. They
form a view of life in general which
makes their position seem good and
admissible.
In order to keep up their view of
life these people instinctively keep
to the circle of those who share their
view of life and of their own place
in it. This surprises us when the
people concerned are these Dragging
about their deXterity, prostitutes
vaunting their depravity or murderers
boasting of their cruelty Can we
not observe the same phenomena
when the extreme rich boast of their
wealth. That is robbery. The COM
manders in the army pride themselves
upon their victories. That is murder,
and those in high places vaunt their
power. That is violence.
We do not Sc ethe perversion in the
views of life held by these people only
because the circle formed by them isl
more extensive and we ourselves are
moving inside il. We socialists some
times wonder how it is that men can
take frail little children and grind
out their lives in mills. We some
times wonder how men can send mi
ners into the pit, knowing that prop
ar precautions have not been taken
against an accident which may mur-
der every one of them.
We see men who consider them
selves good and honorable, debauch-
ing, robbing and numbering others.
We find a good Baptist like Rookie
Teller, a good Catholic like Ryan, al
good Episcopalian like Mr.. Morgan, al
Jew like Mr.. Schiff,
participating III buSIliSoo 'PSA otAOi9i
n financial slight-of-hand and in po-
itical manipulations that utterly as
found those who are not inside their
circle. Yet all these men find that
their actions harmonic in the main
with their conscience; they consider
heir occupation important and good
and they even boast of their great
and value to the commu-
nifty. There is no doubt that you
would find Depew, Platt, Aldrich and
Cannon proud of most of their pub
lie acts. Probably there is not one
Of them but condemns the thief. the
spy and the prostitute, believing at the
same time that a monument should
be built in memory of his own great
service to his country.
l would like to ask the specialists
n moral philosophy now such a per-
version of moral principles can be ex-
planned. Have clergymen in their
churches, have professors in their
any explanation to offer.
They know that prostitution. that
robbery. that bribery, that child la
Dor that murderous tenements, that
mines. that death-dealing
that criminal, thieving po-
lit,cal machines, such as is now be-
ing worked in oregon, are grossly i'm
v,pral Vat Ia yrbat manner cqD they