Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-10-04
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Public Forum

To the Edi.or.--Many years ago
Vanderbilt expressed the general
sentiment OF railroads in particular
and big business In general towa-d
public opinion by exciaiming: The
people be damned"
50 radical has been the change
In the attitude Of big business since
the Vanderbilt condemnation that
II now cultiyates public opinion 90
It's own Interest. on every occasion
where any act Of the predatory Is
called INTO question. In Wander
bilt's time il was the public that
was cassel. profaneiy. contemptu-
ousiy and on all occasions. Now ii
Is big business that Is cussed In ga
on and out, Fl public and in private
not BY the quality" but BY the
common people individually and
collectively. who in all age have
been the upitimate cussers, before
whom all other cussers have gone
down ingloriously to defeat-hence
the cultivation Of public opinion By
the class that so recently epitiom-
lied It's contempt in the Vanderbilt
expression.
The other day little American
boz. one Geoey Sun. was crushed
to death. evidently through no fault
Of his. Gooey, at least, was blame
less-his part in the awful tragedy
vas that Of being the one victim.
and his baby life was the toll exact
ed By the criminal negligence :.
some one or more persons.
II is true, Gooey's parents are
Chinese. while mine were Irish ana
Scotch. but we were both Ameri-
cans and Gooey was at once COM
patriot and friend. Gooey went to
school and all his playmates there
| were his friends, because Gooey
was a little gen-rman and his
| teacher says that of all her pupils
none was brighter, more studious
\ or iogable
As a matter OF history / know
| that when nay Irish and Scotch for
bears were yet barbarians OF tribes
and clans, unleitered and uncouth,
| iooey's ancestors could read and
write. had discovered the art OF
printing, had a working knowledge
Of astronomy and had given to the
| world the first golden rule. Where
fore, I pride myself not too much
of ancestry-Gooey and | were fell
low Americans. And ! assume that
when the Man of Sorrows rebuked
the ignorant flsher-folk on the
shores of Gallilee. saying unto their
Suffer little children to come un.
to me. and forbid them not. for ol
such Is the Kingdom OF Heaven,
his precient mind included Gooey
even with the children Of our lead
ing citizens. And when his Anglo
lSaxon teachers and Sunday sehoo
fclassmates In sorrow and IN tears
consigned Gooey to the grave, they
did 80 in abiding faith that the
! gentle Christ would gather the
crushed and mangled form to his
Iall-healing bosom.
/ Without decent regard for th'
! properties, ignoring entirely th'
feelings OF the widow mother arC
Tan OF G0oey's other relatives aut
/. friends the railroad officials helC
an Investigation" on the day of til,
funeral and before Gooes va
buried.
4 1t was only a China boy who wa
! killed, wherefore, the common de
cencles said of Anglo Saxon ciyiliza
tion in this Christian country mieh
wen be ignored. even to the exlen
OF demanding that the boys uncl'
should he present to be examined
cross s-examined and confused.
The victims OF the tragedy. nj
being Chinese. no reasonable per
son ought 10 take offense at th'
procedure Public opinion mus
be influenced promptly, for ther'
maybe a lawsuit and in decidins
lawsuits public opinion is ever Z
potent factor However. and strang'
as 1t may seem To those who m
vesiigated. l overheard at tn,
cemetery three ladies twhos,
names II here given would com
mand immediate and respectful at
tention OF all our citizensl discus
sing the Sun family and thel
agreed that IN morals. education
and refinement II was the equal O
any family OF their acquaintance.
The results Of this Investigation
; were puhliNhed in your paper with
intent TO Influence public opinion
: True TO form that report wen