The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1859-12-09

rious manifestations according to the peca-
liar feelings of the different parties who
thought enough OF the matter to discuss it.
1t is not of the election of Mr. Wood or of the
defeat of Mr. Havemeyer We desire to speak,
but of Mr. Opdyke, another Of the defeated
candidates, we write. This gentleman, if
we mistake not, was at one time a member
of the Legislature of New York, and while
ia that assembly introduced bill authoriz-
ing the formation OF insurance Companies
to insure against loss from the dishonesty
of persons employed in places of trust. At
first thought, the idea mast be a little rePul-
sive to one seeking a position of trust and
responsibility, to find it necessary to 60 to
an Insurance Company to get policy OF in
surance upon his honesty. There are al
ways tive sides to a question, and 90 also are
there alw lays two classes seeking places of
responsibility and trust, while there are
plenty of men who uld scorn a wrong
action, there are plenty who would accept an
sice and secure the policy for the very
purposes OF punder. In this case they
would be simply robbing Peter to pay Paul
and would, without any scruples Of con-
science, make way with money entrusted to
them, knowing full well that the parties
who had entrusted them with funds would
be Unidentified by the Insurance Companies.
The passage of this bill in New York would
have opened the door for similar legislation
in this and every ether State in, the Unios,
and would eventually have tended to the
most deplorabls consequences. Banking
Institutions and offices of State and Federal
Government might, by that much to be re-
GREETED system OF wire working and log
rolling, which is unfortunately too common
at this day, very readily have fallen into the
hands OF dishonest men, who. seeking only
to punder, would have resorted to any meas
ures to procure their appoint nent, knowing
full we'll that they could by the ass istsnce
of those Insurance Companies satisfy either
private or public institutions that they were
particularly safe. Thus would these IHsu
rance Comp anies, which would have been
created to protect the employee from the
dishonesty of the employer, have opened
the door for any amount of corruption,
p under and crime, and Ike the Linchen
dying they would have dug their own grave,
since it is impossible that they could have
the dishonesty which themselves would have
pampered. But there is system Of insu-
rance against dishonesty, which, if properly
exerted, would, it appears to us,put check
to it in some measure, and that system ia
eternal vigilance. la New York, Philadel-
phia, Baltimore, Charleston, New Orl cans,
and indeed in every seaport in the whole
country there are what is Mechanically term.
ed "Wharf Rats" or "River Thieves" who
prowl around the wharves either afoot upsn
the wbarves themselves, or in boats around
them. and make their living by ievying on
whatever they can lay their hands on. In
the large cities these dspredators are so nu
meroas and carry on their operations to
such an extent that it requires regular
River Police to atch them, and then they
find it impossible to protect the property
River Police is the Insurance Company in
this instance, and the citizens take out
policy by paying for and taking receipt
for their taxes; but in this community we
have no river police and but scant orgaui.
cation OF city watch, who cannot protect
the city aud the wharves at the same time.
The day poics is also too SIN ill and as
they are only allowed their fees of Office,
and are indeed state officers they cannot be
expected to watch the property Of our citi-
zeDs for nothing, particularly when they
have business to attend to, which pays them
for the time consumed. Thus it will appear.
that We are not possessed OF any kind OF in
surauce against dishonesty either on the
river, or around the wharves, which will
readily account for the maay compa ints
which have reached US lately of theft on the
val ious wharves Of the city. We learn that
one merchant has been the loser to the ex-
tent OF ten dollars day for some time past
by the robbery of his cotton bales, and on
one occasion founi that one bale which had
been cut open, WAS robbed of one hundred
aud forty odd pounds, all of which was his
loss, since he had to stand between the own
err and the purchaser of the cotton aud YER
tually become himself, the insurer against
dishonesty, receivins only bis little co"-
mission for his policy, Nor is it To cation
that these wharf rats contne themselv es.-
True, cotton is king, and they dip more ex
tensvelS into that than other staple, but
that article OF home consumption, wood,
comes in for very liberal share of their
nocturnal attention, and nightly, as they say
on change, do cords "change hands," Nor
is wood aud cotton the only articles which
they favor with notice; ANYTHING which is