The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-12-31
The Laboring CIasses--POverty,
CrImetnut1 tlietCause.

Crimesdno the Cause. ii
Were one to trace out all the evil conse.
quences arising from these panies in the
monetary world, he'wopldb be led to drew q
picture painful to behold. A few months
sgo'the Ohio Life and Trust Company. thro
the criminal mismanagement of its officers,
failed. In going down, it carried with it
hundreds of tciher banking institutiOns.-
Thus the panic begun. At first, 1t affected
New York and Ohio. Then il spread over
all the States; then il crossed over the
ocean to England; from England to France;
from France to Austria, until now the whole
commercial world is trembling like the
ground when it is heavsd by the power of on
earthquake. In the path Of this fearful pan
ic, everywhere, are the marks or desolaticn.
To illustrate the effect of these failures, let
US take single instance.
In one of the largest cities in the Union
there was, at the commencement Of the cri-
sis. large banking institution in good stand
ing and possessing the confidence Of the
people. 1t failed. In it were deposited the
available funds often leading manufacturers
of the city. These ten men went down
with the failure OF the Bank. They each
had, 'tn an average in their employ, fifty
workmen-the heads of families-making
in all, Eve hundred workmen and five hun
dred families. They were compelled to sus-
pend. They were no longer able to give
employment to their workmen. The fami-
lies of these workmen were dependent for
the necessaries of life upon the daily labor
Of their husbands and fathers. The loss Of
employment stopped the supply Of food, fuel
and clothing. We will suppose that the
average number ofsFgtschs in each family
was four. The whole number OF persons
then, who are deprived of bread by the fail.
ure of one bank, is two thousand. Winter
is coming on. They are in the midst OF
great city. To obtain employment is out Of
the question. There is no help for them
Hunger and want and cold come like prowl.
ing wolves into their very dwellings. First,
sickness arising from improper food and in.
sufficient clothing, 'creeps in upon thetn.---
Some, shiver ald starVe ard die. Some re
ceive scanty pittance from the more veal
thy and prosperous; bat this is only temper
ary relief. Some, become desperate and dis
spated. Some, prompted by their extremity
/ commit theft and are urraigned for crime
! the crime of valsing their own families above
3 their neighbor's proYerty. Some, sell thei
4 virtue for bread, and gradually sink down t
] the lowest depths ef sensuaiity.
9 Thus, do want and crime and pollution
| How along in the track of bank failures an,
g money pancs. Ifthe failure of single in
s ftimtion can bring about such wide. e.sprea
Q sorrow and distress, how wide and deep ant
t swift must the current of that great river be
d that betrs within its boseu the sorrow
g which flow forth from a thousand failure
g all over the land; and how deeply crmina
= must be the parties by whose neglgenc
n this current of woe is set in motion
v II cannot be doubted that poverty is tn
v greatest source of crime in the land. Meth
y er can. it be doubted that those by who's
r agency-by whose gambling these none.
panics are brought upon US, in the hig
7 Court of Heavens chancery, will be held t.
a strict account for the crime and sufferin,
, which they have caused the world.