Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-08-17
tism" has always been a convenient

tism" has always been a convenient
cloak for selfishness.
The case is paralleled to-day. Pres
ent conditions are mirrored in the
Ephesus tumuIt. There is no deny
ing the sinister fact that vested in
terests still follow the favorite ruse
of cloaking themselves beneath ap-
parent zeal for patriotism or religion
or social stability. The one foe that
democracy has had to front at all
stages of it's progress is the estab-
lished order whose profits were af-
fected by progress. Even back of the
world war we may trace the hideous
hand of big business" The AFRO
gance of wealth and of class and of
leagued sef-interest is the most i'm
mediate peril that confronts a self
governing people.
Demetrius is busy to-day in Wash
ington and Ottawa and Mexico City
and in all the other capitols of the
world. Usually his devotion to his
Diana is only an insincere cloak;
sometimes he himself does not know
the difference between his solicitude
for his faith and his concern for his
own bank account. Usually, the rab-
BILE he raises to support his case are
sincere worshipers of Diana of the
Ephesians.
The Madness of the Mob
The worst about the Demetriuses,
Of Ephesus and elsewhere, is that
their only argument is the big stick.
They try to answer truth with force.
They mob-or discharge-the teach
er or preacher whose views they
deem a menace to their property
holdings. When progressive legisla-
ton impends, they hire a lobby, and
seek to bribe or intImidate the legis-
lators. They attempt to meet truth
with power, which is both stupid and
futile, as we'll as wrong. Christ cruel
fed but triumphant should have set
tied that point forever; but still small
boys and big corporations are meeting
unanswerable argument with a leer-
ing, IT can lick you, anyway"
That mob at Epnesus. which De-
metrius and other shrewd leaders di-
rected, was so carried away by the
mass spirit that it behaved idiotically
The men milled about like panicky
cattle. They shouted without know
ing why. Amy foul deed was entirely
within their possibility. They have
become in history a foul blot on the
name of beautiful city. In its mad
ness, a mob little realizes that it is
inflicting an indelible stain upon its
community. All the good people OF
Georgia and Coatesville cannot wipe
out the hideous scars left by the lynch
mgs.
The Canny Town Clerk
Truth is not decided in town meet
ing nor by majority vote. One man
has often been right, and all the
others wrong. In Ephesus that day
there was one man who kept his head
1t was the town clerk, a canny, So
phlsticated man, VINO clearly saw
through the plans OF Demetrius and
his fellow conspirators. BY his little
speech, the burden or which was BE
quiet, and do nothing rashly," he
made the mob see their folly. He
cited the pre-emipence of the courts
and the groundlessness of the uproar
Happy the nation, the city, the
neighborhood, which has one strong
man whom the mob-madness cannot
AFFECT and who clearly sees the real
duty OF the hour. Such a man, who
VIII not be stampeded or panic
stricken or frightened or consoied, is
or more worth than a police force or
standing army. One mans power
shines as brightly from that Ephesus
scene as crowds futility. It is pos
siole for each of US to be, in local
disturbances, as the town-clerk of
Ephesus. Often this is the function
OF wife and mother. Always il be-
longs to the teacher. One boy in
every crowd should fill the office. For
these who speak for truth and free
dom and justice are servants of God
in the eternal struggle of truth with
error.