Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-10-15
Reply to Mr.. England.
PORTLAND, MAINE, Oct. 8,


Editor Democrat:
l note In your issue of this week let
ter from George Allan England OF Bry-
ants Pond, . we'll known Socialist, In
reference to the recent horrible accident
on the Norway branch OF the Grand
Trunk whereby number Of young peo-
pie lost their lives. As was the case
when last winter Mr.. England took bis
pen in hand to express himself concern
ing the wreck ut Yarmouth, when q man
was burned to death In the ruins, he
sees in IL terrible example OF the
wickedness of Capitalism, and denounces
the railroad and the town In unmeasured
terms for not having gate or . flagman
at the crossing. Mr.. England further
says that In foreign lands where the gov
ernment owns the railroads such acci-
dents are impossible for various reasons
| which he gives, not one of which has the
slightest bearing on this case In any way
except to write down Mr.. England Is .
man possessed OF one idea, obsessed In
fact, to such an extent that he bends
every set of facts to meet his theory
rather than meeting the case squarely a.
It 10, and either keeping still ss In case
L
| honest statement letting the facts fall
where they will.
lam told that Eve reliable persons
Who saw the accident say tho people In
the auto were laughing and shouting
and having . merry time; that the man
who was running 1t was bending over TO
watch the machinery 60 to see u the
trouble It had been having was still on;
that the man who was on the seat with
him was turned about In his seat looking
toward the rear and engaged In CONVEX.
sstion with those on tho rear seat, and
that NO one OF the party was paying tho
slightest attention 20 where they wero
going or to what was coming.
II they could not hear locomotive
whistle or SEQ an approaching train,
should like to ask Mr.. England how
much attention he thinks they Would
have paid to . flagman or to . gater
| At the time OF tho accident OF last
winter. when also took issue with Mr..
England ON the Same ground, namely,
that he paid NO attention TO tho plain
facts of the case, but seized upon an
entirely svoidable accident to distort into
q rabid attack upon railroad corpora
ton, for some reason that may or may
not be pure patriotism-the same cor.
lporation In both cases, BY the wsy-it
was abundantly proven that the accident
was due to an utter and absolute lack oil
proper precaution on the part OF the
ltrain crew Of the train tlAt VIZ moving,
each man Of the lot apparently thinking
moro of getting to the end OF bis run
thar be did of seeing to It that safety
was observed.
i When people learn TO b careful AND
to observe the ordinary rules OF pre-
caution, especially whom they are IN
charge Of high powered vehicles moving
either on railroad tracks or on the public
Ihighwsys, then accidents Will cease ana
|. not TIL then.
II IL the nature Of human beings that
must b reformed, not the business
Isvstem of the world. And the sooner
, George Allan England and those who
follow him or whom he follows get
, around to this state OF facts and apply It
the sooner will they begin to make head
vny In their commendable desire to I'm
T nrove tho conditions Of human beings
WILLARD A. WxDsTER, il.