The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-09-24

carrlcu out. Dut we rear III the Oiu iauy
could behold the astounding illustration OF
the doctrine which this city just now presents
she would be convinced that even good
thing may be carried too far The commercial
and financial metropolis Of this great country
stands now before the civilized world shorn
of her strength and stripped of her greatness,
and zone are found so base as to do her
homage. The public has expressed its sur
prise at the revelations of fraud which have
been made during the last few weeks,
whereas the wonder should have been that
the losses are not greater than they seem
| to be. The Wholesale corruption, the lack
| of integrity aud common honesty which we be-
hold on every side, are not the result Of an acci
dent but are the natural growth and develop
ment of seeds sown in other years and by
other hands, and may be as easily traced to
their source as any fact in nature The laws
of matter are not more clearly known and
easily defined than the laws of morals, and ii
! we can call off our minds for brief considers
| ton of our present condition we may be able
| to point out the causes thereof and th Q cure.
We are what we are and as we are because
| of three facts, at the bottom of which lies the
root of sel6shness. These three facts relate
| to money and morals and politics. A great
| outcry is being made now against our NUM-
cipal rulers, and their crime is laid at the door
of the democratic party of the country, when
| it should rather be laid at the door of
every Christian and moral man and
woman in this city and State. Those
men, whom we now unitedly condemn
and seek to punish, are the creatures that
we have made. They could not hold
the positions they now hold and for years
| past have held had not the religious and
! moral portion of the community placed them
there and retained them there. We are the
great criminals they are merely our tools.
This charge may seem strong; but its great
strength is found in it's truthfulness, as we
shall try to demonstrate.
Here, for instance, are thraescore and ten
good and honest and upright men, in whom
the public have unlimited confidence and who
are now actively engaged Cor so appear to Beg
investigating frauds against the city, with an
avowed purpose to prosecute the guilty.
They, of course, would repel the insinuation
that they are at all responsible for the crimes
of our rulers; and yet they and thousand
other good men like them are the real culprits.
They are the men who rise at a seasonable
hour in the morning, sip their coffee, glance
at the daily paper, ride down town to their
banks and mercantile Offices, to their
railroad and steamboat and other places of
business, remain there until the evening
hour calls them home again, when they take
their tea, read the evening paper, chat a half
hour with the family, 60 to the club or visit
friend and are in bed regularly at ten o'clock
every night. And thus they go the round
week after week and year after year. When
, Sunday comes they are found in church. and
perchancc sit in the seat next to the man who
has had his hand up to the elbow in the
pockets of the people for dozen years. But
Mr.. Old Fogy knows nothing about it. He
has been ''minding his own business" and has
not had time to look after that of the city in
which his greatest interest lies. And so while
he is making money one way the clerk, the
plasterer, the chairmaker, the ginshop keeper
and the pothouse politician have been making
money another way. They have taken, not
two per cent of his earnings or income, but
ten per cent of his property of every kind
He made money so fast and was 80 intent on
accommodating wealth be could not give a
thought to anything else. Self was
his god and the greenback was his
prophet, and both logged along to-
gether very comfortably until some one
cried out ''Stop theft" and the conservative
old gentleman looked around to see the thief,
and then to inquire whose house had been
robbed, and finding that he is the victim, his
righteous indignation now knows no bounds.
But, had he watched, the thief had not
entered. Had he as Christian man per
| formed his duty the men who now stand
convicted before the community would not
have been to-day in their places, and they
might have been honest and worthy members
of society. Had he supported an honest man
for Office the thief would not have got the
place.
What a sad commentary it is on the
morality of the city also to see a crowd
gather, as they did couple of evenings ago.
to do homage to one of the men who thus
stands before the people moral convict!
Led by few small politicians, who, by prey
ing upon the ignorance and the prejudice of
the masses, have foisted themselves upon the
public, and by the same means hope to retain
place and power, the crowd shouted and made.
noise enough. But in point of responsibility the
meeting of Friday night was failure. No de-
cent democrat could be found to preside at the
gathering; and we hope not one will be found
until the honest people have asserted their
right and driven every one of those leeches
from the high places which they now disgrace.
What communion hath light with darkness?