Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1921-03-22
Tale of a Flour Sack.

A -four sack was given considerabl
publicity a short time ago. Some rob
bers in Kansas City carried OF their loo
| in one of these receptacles. A reporte
in writing the matter up mentioned tn
fact and the artistic headline write
gave il such additional prominence tina
it was commented on editorially n
about every sheet printed in the United
States. The comments were not serious
but to the effect that clean white GOV
ering like that one, specially made tG
contain and transport TO needy human
ity the staff of life, should not be used
to transport property dishonesty OBJ
tanned. 1t was banter mostly, and moi
intended to be taken seriously. 1t was
q pleasantly intended to convey the ides
that pure white sack filled with pur,
white -four, or intended to be filed with
that material, could not, or should mol
be connected with robbery.
There were those, however, who took
these editorials seriously. There we're
those who contended these white cotton
bags might be considered as whited
sepulchers. That the entire use of these
sacks were cases OF robbing. Perhaps
these persons were tainted with Town
leyism-sounds something like it-bu'
they make out q possible case. These
are their claims:
First, they say the farmers were rob-
bed In selling their wheat by marking IL
a lower grade than IL really was. Then
the elevator man took toll, and the rail-
road men followed suit. Then specu-
lators on boards of trade juggled the
grain and took toll, not q single toll
but many OF them. The miller then
bought the wheat and he raised the
grade one or more notches. BE ground
IL and il was so good he thought be
must have good profir-iust as much
as buyers would stand as he passed il
on to middlemen and speculators. II
was so good they too thought Il would
stand a good profit. Then the retailer
got it into his possession and one could
not expect him to pass IL on TO the "ulti.
mate consumer" without adding bis
mite, and so that charitable last owner
paid the bills-all the tolls, loots and
profits, and thanked his lucky stars
there were not any more bands for it to
go through
As stated in the beginning these Town
leyite people rather turn their noses up
toward the sun or moon, according to
the time of day, aud snort out that the
last use OF the bag wasn't any worse
than the first, and might be better.
OF course the first handlers OF the bag
were honest, and the last couldn't be
didn't claim to be-which invites the
conclusion, whether we will no not, that
robbers are not the worst people in the
world to deal with. II you catch one,
he can be put in jail, but these others
why they are moral men. Nothing can
be done to moral man.
Did the reader ever look up the deriva-
ton of the word moral? IL comes from
the Latin moralis meaning custom. Oh
course one can't punish a man for do
ing what 10 customary, that is moral.
The transaction does not include the
doing or not doing ones neighbor, only
the manner of doing him. II it Is done
according to Hoyle, that is in the regu-
lar, customary and moral way, why the
only thing the do-ee can do is TO look
pleasant during the operation. II one
is religiously inclined, why, when one
of these moral men comes after youI
pocket book, tell him to take your vest
too, IL that 10 what it is In, or your trou.
sers maybe.
appears to be the fashion just now
to consider life as 4 sporting proposi.
tion. To obtain the admiration Of the
populsce one must be sport; and real.
ly, considered that way, q person who
takes chances in pure larceny must be
more OF sport than one who hides be.
bind customary moral convention.
AQUARIUs.