Relic Hunters and Civilized Liberty
A civilization that is not coupled with a due regard for the rights of our fellow-men, for the property rights of individuals or the people at large, is a questionable accomplishment. That class of people who pose as relic hunters—a class comprising many people of so-called higher culture—come in for no little share of censure in this respect. The Sacramento Union draws this comparison: “It is reported that the trees planted in New York by Li Hung Chang [the late noted Chinese statesman] have been almost carried away piecemeal by relic hunters. On the other hand, the trees planted by General Grant in Tokyo are surrounded by a railing, and guarded by soldiers. It is not a pleasant comparison, nor does it reflect favorably upon the civilized liberty of which we talk so much.”