The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-09-21
THE DARRoW LECTURE,

THE BARROW LECTURE.
Clarence Darrow may be great law
yer, in a certain line of practice: and
he may be philosopher, as was claimed
in his introduction at the Salt Lake
theater on Thursday night, if cynicism
is to be confounded with wisdom; but
his vision is distorted and his influence
cannot be helpful either TO the world In
general or TO the cause Of labor in par
ticular
Things don't look right to him. nei-
ther those of the ancient nor the modern
world: no people know how to run a
government, least Of all the American
people And the rule Of force, by "d-
rect action, is the only kind of rule
for which he acknowledges respect
Under grim sense of humor which
prevents him from going TO the serious
extremes he justifies in others. Mr..
Darrow makes entertaining an other
wise gloomy lecture. For, thinking
people in his audience are led TO re
gard him as n common scold. finding
fault with everybody and everything,
irreyerent at all times and sacrilegious
whore he dares.,
He teaches three lessons, none OF
which contributes TO the encourage
ment of youth or the advancement Of
humanity:
l. Contempt for the United States
Government and its founders. He con-
tends that it is the poorest excuse for
a popular government on tho face of
the earth. that its founders were fogies,
farmers, and fools; that its constitut ton
is obsolete and idiotic, and that it's In
stitutions are unworthy of advanced
civilization.
2. Dissatisfaction with society and
the legal restraints which, through tho
ages, 1t has adopted for the protection
of person and property; distrust of
peaceful methods of securing reforms,
and an eloquent apostrophe to force as
the only regulator to be rolled upon.
8. Sympathy for the two McNam-
aras, confessed murderers, whom he
knew to be guilty of the felonies
charged against them, and whom he ad-
vised to plead guilty, not in the inter
est of JUSTICE, not for the sake of the
twenty-one workmen slain by them in
the Times building, not in the name Of
God and humanity, but, as he clearly
states, to save their necks from the
moose.
He doesn't deny their guilt he de-
clares it, he deplores the fatalities
which attended the act of violence
which he condones as an attempt to use
force against force, dynamite against
dollars, passion against progress, and
to put nabor in the false light of being
the champion Of destruction against
capital as the agent of construction.
Mr.. Darrow's lecture is the kind that
leaves bad residue in one mind, as
a play which makes hero Of the reck-
less tough. and a heroine of the heart.
less trollope. One doesn't feel that
mankind has been properly portrayed,
nor the cause of humanity fairly ex-
pounded. And Mr., Darrow's impas-
stoned appeal to labor unions and to
union men to stand by the McNamaras
because these confessed felons went TO
their cells without betraying anybody
or duplicating any organization, was
more eloquent than it was either worthy
or helpful to the cause of organized Ia
Dor. II contained hint OF facts con
cealed, and plea to people whose hon.
esty and respect for the law he doesn Z
seem TO comprehend.
Such 4 lecture is entertaining to
those of sufficient will, mind. and
character to accept it as revealing the
workings Of a peculiar intellect, but
ut expounds a dangerous doctrine for
excitable, impressionable. and ignorant
men. who are always willing to blame
some one else for their misfortunes and
to seize upon the most ready means 10
satisfy their wroughtup desire for
vengeance. IL Is a clever expression
Of vague vet consuming hatred n Gun.
ming appeal to indefinite violence. a
subtle arraignment of God and hu-
manity.
1t Is the kind Of teaching that de.
strovs patriotism, cultivates pessim.
ism, discourages progress. and. II fol
lowed, would lead mankind back TO the
stone age, when there was no law. no
property rights, no protection for the
weak. no curb upon the brutality OF
Dhysieal force in pursuit of the OBJ
icets of its lust or greed.
In its challenge of strength 10 So
ciety. force on the one side 70 be ar
raved against force on the other. IL i
a dIrert i'm nNocaiion IN commnnitn NNar