Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-12-07

chants are patronlzing, are of noto-
riously loose morals, and, if not pro-
fessional gamblers and even lower
professionals in the black arts, are
connected upon some basis of interest
or other with those that are such.
This was shown the other day at the
foot races by the fraternal informing
ling of runners and blacklegs, whose
every action and language told OF
their profession. There was no mis-
taking them.
Aud to make show of respectable
ity these runners and blacklegs from
Chicago next sought out among our
citizens such Of our business men
and clerks-men a little disposed TO
sporting, but still cautious, inclined
to touch it lightly at first but on
their way to that stage where going
it upon all tours is their inevitable
landing the floating population in
possession of small earnings the
young men of fortune but with small
or Cemorallzed brains that other
class of men who sometimes iuclose
money for lottery tickets ; men OF
suspected common sense who, when
counseled to lookout for swindlers,
remind you that they understand
their own business men slightly in
terested in bringing in company to
patronize their business-all these
are sought for, treated as brothers,
and are to become either the part
ners to betting frauds or the we'll
robbed victims.
But our design is to notice espe-
cially the leading men from the
country-wealthy farmers, who come
down from their high and honorable
profession, and put themselves upon
a level with professional blacklegs-
even knowing that the chances are
as five to one against themselves
And this is not the worst of it
their influence and their example
their counsel too, invites and traps
their less able and less sbrewd neigh
bors and neighbours boys to the field
of immoral enterprise.
When farmers lose that virtue le-
ultimately belonging to their profess
sion, moderate depravity hardly sf-
fords them half way pleasures In
proportion as their calling gives them
strength of muscle and mind, in Just
such proportion do they require
strong and deep potations of vice to
fill their measure.
Satan's most delightful employ
ment is the victimizing Of the rural
classes and they do say of late that
he has run short of land for his flock,
and that he has petitioned God and
the Pope for large slice of Paradise
to be laid out in farms for his new
recruits. 1t is to be presumed there
fore that Satan has turned farmer in
view of doing o heavier recruiting
business. Be this as it may, the
farmers who inhabit Gods broad
acres and are about the only people
who can duplicate that Paradise of
purity described in Genesis, and mo-
nopolize the entire catalogue of joys
not forfeited by the fall of man, are
still as of old the exposed victims to
that evil fruit which the devil ped
died from Paradise. 1t is q notori-
Gus truth. the exceptions so rare as
to prove the proposition, that the
worst men as well as the best men,
tho most dangerous to society "a we'll
as the most virtuous and useful, are
trained upon the farm.
1t requires the strong muscle and
intellect created by toll to produce
the extremes of evil as we'll as the
projections of manly nature. The
highest fountains water the lowest
valleys, as result of original confu-
sion through disturbing causes. Per-
lection itself is near neignbor to de-
formity. And even Infinity has per-
mitted the evils which Omnipotence
could have prevented. But we have
travelled into unknown latitude. The
ordinations of Almighty God are not
for us to criticize but rather for our
spproval-thougb human under
standing may devise laws of right
and wrong which would trv and con-
Wet Deity. We only meant to call
attention to the fact that the farmer
holds the highest of all callings to in
sure strong muscle and intellect,
high virtue and morality, long life
and much pleasure. Yet when be
falls from partaking of forbidden
fruit, society suffers far more than
from the fall of any other class of
men. When The stoutest man fails at
lifting a weight, the weaker make
teebler attempts than if he had rails
ed it. The wisdom and example of
great men are admired and followed
by the middling classes, but when
great and wise men fall short, they
become an apology fer others to aim
law in their practice. And it is so
with the vices: when the farmers
who lead the public morals, come
down and enter the gambling ring,
they carry the public standard alon e
with them. 1t is like lowering the
ensign of war in the heat of the bat
tie. The men are thoroughly demon
allied and scattered, and very soon
are captured by the enemy.
When the farmers take to gam
bling and next to drink and cheating,
the merchants soon follow, then fol-
low the lawyers, mechanics, editors
and teachers. Horse and man rae
ingis foundedin frauds. Either party
is IN the market for money, and will