Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1912-05-10
As 10 SPECIAL PRIVILEGE.

Ine cry OF special privilege Is Of
ten raised by those who imagine that
In the battle Of llfe they are not being
given square deal. From the be-
havior OF the uneXcited individual
under normal conditions one cannot
always foresee how any one viii act
in moments Of crisis, danger or un.
! expected trial. A terrible ordeal, like
that experienced on board the doomed
/ Titanic during her last hours, reveal0
the real man in "A flash. II also en-
phasizes the special privileges that
go with rank, strength and fortune,
There are some natures cast In
such heroic mold that Of their ac>
tions under any and every possible
combination Of circumstances no one
who has ever met them or known
them could ever harbor the slightest
doubt of misglving They would al
ways stand for righteousness. OF
such are the Kingdom of Heaven
and of such was that great good,
noble hearted American soldier, Maj.
Archibald Butt That he would al
ways be the same calm and collected
in face Of danger, able and willing
when the occasion demanded, fear
/ less and utterly regardless of self, GER
tain to preserve his poise, should
death be in one scale and duty in the
other-this was as certain as the ris
| ing of the sun or the motions of the
tides. As his well-loved friend, the
president of this great nation, said
Of him: He was a man to the last,
soldier through and through He
died as he had lived, an ideal for
every Christian.
Another heroic figure will rise be-
fore the Imagination whenever any
mention shall be made Of the worlds
greatest ocean tragedy-that of Col
John Jacob Astor, tenderly kissing his
young bride as he placed her safely
in the boat with the CHEEKY good-py
words: II will see you again in New
York, deare" And yet he knew all
the time that the last lifeboat mad
even then been launched and that the
shin beneath his feet was slowly sink
/ ing. This man, with everything to
make life sweet for him, with enough
of this worlds goods to buy up doz-
| en- Steamship lines, would seek no
safety for himself while on the sink
ing ship one poorest woman might
possibly be left behind to drown.
If there be such a thing as special
privilege-one law for the strong and
another for the weak-it was shown
on that vessel of death and baptized
/ in the icy waters Of the North Atlant-
/ ic There was the privilege of gal
/ liant Capt. Smith with his forty years
of faithful service, to meet the death
on the bridge of his ship like the ola
Roman that he was. He did not
/ shrink from exercising this preroga-
/ tive. denied to the humblest deckhahd
/ on board There was the privilege
of the brilliant American soldier
Mai. Butt, and others like him. to
stand aside and succor the weak and
HELPLESS and wave a kindly good-oy
and Godspeed to each boat as 1t put
off: and to stay behind and die. This
was the special privilege of the SOL
diers and there was no faltering In
Mai. Butt Those on the boats VINO
saw the last of this brave man. stand
ing with his arms folded and goine
down to death like an officer on dress
parade. declare it one of the subllm-
est sights that ever brought tears to
human eyes.
The privilege of one of the worlds
richest men to care first for the safe
ty and comfort of his bride, and after
that for every woman and child need
ing assistance, and after that to light
a cigarette and with affected calmness
meet the inevitable; If this was his
special privilege as a gentleman, then
Col. Astor was true to the bitter finish.
Nor should We forget the privilege
Of that whole gallant British crew,
quietly and steadfastly to obey each
order received; and when everything
had been done that was humanity
possible for the passengers committed
TO their charge. to face the end with
out panic and without disorder.
II these be some OF the special priv
ileges Of the brave, the strong. the
wealthy and the well-disciplined, then
we pray that the day of absolute
equality may be far distant that is
going to rob us Of our priceless her
itage.
Dan Kelly is here from Robinson.
Illinois