Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1911-07-22
FROM WHICH
THERE is NO APPEAL
By John S. Hamilton.

IL dS they saw IT. QUICK as NASH
came the startling answer why we
would have to call out the militia"
The speaker in the writer's opinion
was one Of the wisest men he ever
knew and as witty as he was wise.
In spite Of this he, the writer, was
not prepared for that kind of answer.
It was during a time OF business de-
preston, and in asking the question
he expected to hear something about
crowded stores and bright faced mer-
chants with swelling tills and a peo-
pie that we're happy for the time at
least.
The man who made the answer IS
dead. The thought, he suggested
however, has lived in the writer's
mind, and is one Of the many valua-
bic hints that came from John Bot,
the old bookman whose little shop
was on West Sixth street, the site
of which Is now covered by the hand
some building Of The Security Trust
and Safe Deposit Company. There Is no
chance that any one will make the
| experiment suggested, but the writer
thinks IL Is probably worth while TO
ask If John Bolt really sized up the
situation properly, and II there was
really any element of truth In his
answer
u was said by an eminent natur-
1 alist and philosopher that the whole
world came by every mans door side
n he knew how to look for il. There
rs truth ia this and IL is also true
Of a persons town and country. and
as II Is too much of a job to attempt
10 take IN the whole world. let us
look for moment 10 what Is going
on I'm this country of ours and see
] IL we cannot prove that Mr.. Bott had
good grounds for his startling state
meut
About two generations ago, or 20 be
exact IN 1Sf9. gold was discovered IA
California Until that time there
were no rich men as We know them
/ in this day Of billions Wealth con
sisted largely ~ land, and social
! preferment came because of distin-
guished ancestry or on account Of
accomplishments IN the triumphs Of
peace or Of war
After the discovery OF the yellow
metal ON the Pacific slope. however,
a marked change came over the
scene The discovery was followed
| By other finds in our own and other
lands until the effect was much the
same as n the experiment spoken of
above had been made. Wealth began
: 10 accumulate and while there was
no per capita distribution there was
A per capita increase In the supply
Of money which. while IL did not
have the effect that would have re-
suited in placing the money IN aepa-
rate hands. II unquestionably had
many Of the results that we're con-
templated by dear old John Bot
when he spoke among the dust and
oobwebs Of his little shop.
Wealth naturally concentrated IN
the hands Of those best aualifed 20
get e. An opportunity to exploit
human selhshness such as had never
presented itself 10 the human race
was at hand and. OF course, 1t was
taken advantage or Ways and means
Of shifting the burdens and respon-
sibilties OF life on to others we're
sought and discovered The very
fundamental principles OF manhood
and morality we're often lost sight OF
I'm crazy scramble for money and
for the time being the most prominent
and the most respected would fire.
quently irreverently rush rough shod
with hats on into the very Holy Of
Holys and prostitute all that was
sacred while they I'm justification
pointed their avaricious fingers at
their growing boards
But what has this to do with calling
out the militia? will be asked. A few
years ago Senator Scott. of West Vir-
ginia, at a banquet Of the leaders Of
! HE hfrefnrg. hold IN Oft
said during a speech delivered on
that occasion that the government
should increase the artillery arm OF
the army so that they could shoot
down the mobs that would gather in
the cities. The writer never could
understand exactly what Senator
Scott meant; why the mobs would
gather has been always an enigma TO
him. Nothing in the career Of the
gentlemen from West Virginia would
indicate that he is a philosopher and
the only other conclusion possible
after this deliverance being that he
knew something unknown to the
writer. In the absence Of more evil
dence the writer has always been
compelled to withhold Judgment even
II he is not satisfied.
The writer believes that It will not
be necessary to call out the artillery
to shoot down the mobs that viii
gather to deprive Senator Scott or
any other man of his righteous OF
even his unrighteous holdings. If he
possesses such. He, the writer, be-
lieves that what happened is only
what was inevitable in the changing
conditions. Senator Scott and his like
cannot solve the problems by rapid
firing guns, but It will be solved and
men Of the type Of Senator Scott viii
have very little TO do with IL, al
though unfortunately. for them. they
appear to have had much TO do with
the making Of the difficulties
II Senator Scott and his like want
conditions TO remain as they are let
them burn the school houses and turn
the teachers into other avenues Of
production. Enlightened men will not
long permit men Of the type Of Sena-
tor Scott to ride on their backs and
they will find out what 10 do with the
artillery business, too. without hitting
anybody
But what is the use Of talking? II
could not have been otherwise. If It
had not been Scott, It would have
been someone else, and the future will
say that Il was worth an II cost. To
be sure It IS difficult 10 be patient
even after you understand the game
when you see and reflect on what is
taking place under your very eyes.
The rrrffrr hoe q. IL.