The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-09-13
Howe About:
Protection for All
Destroyed Illusions
Coal Oil Johnny
By ED HOWE
C, Bell syndic.ts.-wNu Service.


fight; even in shooting.
Robberies of banks have become 20
common that In many towns alarm
systems have been installed to sum-
mon, on occasion. citizens with arms
In their hands. am cheered frequent
ly OF late by hearing of bank robbers
being shot down In the streetR
1t is not for the greatest good OF the
greatest number that an armed loafer,
with murder In his heart. should de-
mand money belonging to Industrious
citizens. The majority of men do not
approve OF such methods, therefore are
not only within their rights In stopping
such outlawry. but are to be highly
commended. An occasional man lying
dead In the street, II discovered In VI
oience. Is as fine an exhibition OF NOR
ality as assisting the unfortunate.
/ believe congress has violently as
saulted the rights of conservative citi-
zens who represent the majority. Our
country. our homes, our places OF busi-
ness, are as clearly entitled to protec-
ton as banks. Measures sufficiently
vigorous to be effective should be re-
sorted to in protecting them.
A writer In a Baltimore paper says
the trouble with Americans now is,
they are suffering from the destruction
of their old Illusion of superiority and
infallbllity. Having been blown COM
pletely out of our serene confidence
that one of us could lick thlrty-seven
Frenchmen, 1t was inevitable that we
should begin to doubt that we can lick
any Frenchman at all We have been
suddenly and frightfully convinced
that we are no better than so many
foreigners, whereas, for a hundred
years. we have been assuring our
selves that foreigners are low and
feeble fellows. What wonder, then.
that we have fallen far into the
dumps?
Americans were originally In posses.
sion of virgin continent, which they
exploited with unprecedented speed.
and making many mistakes on the
way. The resultant colossal wealth
naturally gave us the impression that
our business acumen was prodlgious.
Everything conspired to maintain us
In the opinion that the American is
In all respects the most potent man
who walks the earth.
Then came the crash of matter and
the wreck of worlds In 1920. Sudden
ly 1t was revealed TO US that some of
the most awe-inspiring figures In the
American business world were In re-
ality appalling chumps; that many po-
litical demigods really knew no more
about statecraft than the average bar
Der does about geometry. and that
there is. with possible exceptions that
may be counted on the fingers OF one
hand, not really competent interna-
tional banker In Wall Street. The
country swarms with smart young
statesmen, but the wise old heads In
the business world are few In number,
and far, indeed. from being In control.
Naturally. our first reaction was =
stunned bewilderment that swiftly
passed Into paralyzing fear, and every
body bawling absurdly for help.
No figure In history has impressed
me more than man called Coal OIL
Johnny. He was fool fellow living
In average American fashion In Penn
sylvania. OH was found ON a piece
OF wornout land he had fallen heir
to. Taxes had not been paid In years.
but the final limit had not been
reached. and redemption was possible.
The oil discovery made Johnny rich,
and he at once moved to New York,
where he became the most reckless
spender the world had up to that time
known. Because of his unexampled
folly. he became one of the worlds
most famous men.
One morning he hwoke to find him
self stripped, forsaken and forgotten,
except that we say now he was the I
greatest fool In all history.
| don't know about that Have not
many millions been equally foolish all
over the world In the past dozen years1
The men who loaned billions abroad In
the first years of the war: was even
Coal Oil Johnny equally reckless or
foolish2 Look at the appropriations
of congress In the past dozen years:
were the financial operations OF Coal
OIL Johnny worse?
Instead OF noble monuments to VIII
son, Harding, Hoover, Borah, Norris,
Brookhart, or the La Toilette boy, /
think there should be erected monu-
ments of disheveled, dissipated, care
less man, and labeled: "A Typical
American: Hon. Coal OIL Johnny, Of
Pennsylvania. Remember what 4 fool
he was and try to be wiser"
have long observed thnt when l
have behaved reasonably well yester~
day, 1t Is easier to behave reasonably
well today. II I neglect to perform
a natural duty today, 1t Is doubly trou-
blesome tomorrow.
In the long contest between poor
and rich men. the rich call fewest hard