Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1910-10-29
Gar OF HIS ship
The Captain OF an Ocean Liner
Is a Real AutoCrat.
HIS WORD is ABSOLUTE LAW.
He May. IL Vie Deems Il Necessary.
Put a Passenger In irons or Clap
Him In a Cell. and In Cases OF Emer.
asney Is Empowered to Take Life.

Tet EaSseH9eF w iFoUb OF OtaP
Him In a Cell. and In Cases Of Emer.
geney Is Empowered to Take Life.
Imagine a mayor or Judge OF a
circuit court or a county sheriff or a
town marshal OF a village of $500 pop
ulation stepping out into the street
and on general and self imposed au.
thorIty picking up citizen. ordering
him to cell and clapping irons on
him for safe keeping!
Wouldn't the bird Of American lib
erty set up n scream? Wouldn't the
old and badly cracked Liberty bell
resonate In discordg
After one of the great transatlantic
passenger steamships leaves the three
mile limit OF New York the passenger
is In foreign territory on the high seas.
English. French. whatever
the dag at the masthead-the ship is n
section Of its fatherland. floating in the
high seas. where only maritime laws
regarding Its transit In times OF peace
may hold check upon the czardom OF
the ships commander. on or of the
bridge.
No car has more power within his
territory than has the captain of the
great Atlantic liner on the high seas
He Is on an island OF his countrys
ownership 4 floating island. having
population of 500 employees and look
ing after the welfare and safety of per
haps 5000 passengers. He is prac-
tically the administrative. executive
and judicial single Individual. such as
exists rarely on the map OF present
day civilization. Aside from his au-
thority over mankind. he may have
100000 OF vessel under him. to say
nothing Of the International mails and
millions in gold In transshipment.
There's the captain" Is a whispered
bit Of comment made million times
year In the beginning OF the pas
sages of great ocean steamships And
generally the captain looks the part.
II Is not so much his uniform either.
Ordinarily the captain is not young
There Is gray In his hair. mustache
or beard That young man In his
ing for beginning the work. isn't called
ut n moments notice TO the captains
bridge. He must have his maximum
OF training for six or seven numbers
below before he Is called 10 the foot
OF the ladder
On the British passenger vessels
most of the beginners ut navigating
al. IL.
have had lieuienant's commission
from the navy. II is from the royal
navy reserves that the lowest officers
vacancy is filed. Filling 1t. he has his
chance to rise to the position of cap
tain
As to the captains authority: One
midnight. when in fog the White
Star Baltic struck the German oil
steamship Standard. the Baltic needed
It's captain. and he was there. His
ship carpenters were rushed to the
bow OF tho vessel and began the work
steel sheathing.
Suppose that In a stampede of the
Baltic's crew its employees had rushed
up 10 ill It's boats? II was within the
captains power 10 have shot down the
leader-to have brought about war to
the knife. revolver and rife In the In
terests of his vessel and It's passen
gers. Or had some passenger or pas
sengers become panic stricken and
against orders menaced the welfare OF
the majority on the ship death would
have been dealt with the same rigid
discipline which requires of the cap
tain that he be the autocrat nj his
post.
There are no forms of writs or war
rants necessary. There Is no court at
which the passenger or the seaman
may give bond In that instant OF
sudden great emergency which arises
the captains word is more than writ.
ten law; II is the unwritten common
law of the high seas. In the spirit OF
which the vigilance committee OF the
wild west of the United States rose.
lawlessly lawful
Today the captain OF the great line;
may step into the palatiai cabin and
command order. He may go into the
smoking cabin and stop the game oi
cards at which the sharper Is playing
for his stakes. In case OF refusal thai
ancient land right OF mo deprivation
OF liberty without due process Of law
becomes a farce. The cell room OF
even the iron manacles Of the cap
tain's authority may be used upon the
individual who has paid So or Sl.0Ot
for his suit Of rooms and u. passage
On the high seas the captains ship
becomes an autocratic democracy. The
Individual In the hrst cabin and AZ th,
captains table must share with the
immigrant far below those equities
that are granted to each in his place.
Don't buck the captain" said an
official in the offices Of great steam.
ship line "Hc Is all there Is OF author
ity. lie Is the supreme entity Of his
ship. He is dressed for IL; but. more
than that. he is trained to IT, He is
empowered to take life II he must. and
on land this IS the most serious OF all
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