The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-22

The liar is justly held IN general contempt;
the poisoner is universally ebhorred; but still
what is the practice of adulteration in what
we eat and drink but vast scheme of sys-
tematic lying and poisoning2 Yet everybody
knows that respectable members of churches
not only deal in articles which are known to
be false and poisonous, but often condescend
to be manufacturers of such articles. Alex
ander the Sixth, Cesar Borgia, and Brinvil-
liers only poisoned particular individuals,
who might happen to obstruct their particu-
lar schemes. They had no desire to poison
slowly whole community in order to make
money. We think, if they could be raised
from the dead, they would be somewhat
startled to find that lying and poisoning were
considered as legitimate branches of busi-
nass This fact alone would prove that the
science of Comparative Rascality is still in its
infancy.
Robbery, in the eye of the law is serious
offense. To pick the pocket or break into
the house of private individual is a crime
punishable by imprisonment. But it is we'll
known that a colossal pickpocket and bur-
glar may bribe a legislature for the purpose
of plundering a community, without suffer-
ing any other punishment than that which
comes from the vague denunciation of few
honest newspapers.
All law implies that deliberate wrong,
done by one man to another, is to be pun
ished. The law is operative as respects small
offenders; but it is practically nullifed in the
matter of taxation. The security of property
depends on taxing equi tably the whole COM
munity in order to raise yearly large sums to
pay policemen, soldiers, and magistrates, to
save society from that anarchy in which pro-
perty is hopelessly wrecked. 1t might there
fore be supposed that the richer man is the
more ready he would be to pay his honest
portion of the general tax. Far otherwise is
the fact. The moment people get property
to any large amount they exert their inge-
nuity in throwing the expense of protecting it
on their poorer neighbors, less interested than
they in its protection. This phase of the
science of Comparative Rsscality would alone
furnish matter for volume. We merely give
the slightest hint of the folly as we'll as mean
ness involved in the theory on which these
millionaires appear to rely.
One more illustration, and we will leave
this hateful subject. The system of credit is
now SO generally established that civilization
itself depends on its preservation. 1t is fun
damentally based on honesty. When a man
signs an obligation to pay certain sum at a
defined date, he pledges all the moral charac-
ter there is in him to its fulflment. At
whatever sacrifice to himself, he engages to
pay his note; and if he cannot pay it at matu-
rity, he delivers his property to his creditor.
This is the simple statement of the fact of
credit as respects the humble creditor.
Bankers insist on it inexoraby. No man
who trades on a small capital can evade it.
The moment he appears before banker,
or a board of directors, he is overcome
by the moral power which flashes indig-
nantly from their eyes. He sacrifices
the small earnings of long years, and pays
his note. Far different is it with the
man who attaches no moral responsibility to
his signature. He is the Napoleon of Com
merce. The possessor of five millions, he
| gives out his notes for ten millions in the
hope of making fifteen. The time comes
when his enterprise" has been carried so far
that his creditors think it is judicious to
arrest his onward career; but in stopping him
in his business insanity, they think it impor-
tant that he should reap its fruits. He is to
be petted at the expense of the poorer people
who have trusted him. 1t is important that
his large fortune should be secured, through
what is called an extension" although 9
hundred people who followed modestly in
his wake should be relentlessly sacrificed
This is the last stage of business demoraliza
tion, on the principles of Comparative Ras-
cality.