New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-11-25
AMERICAN HONESTY.

The German gaming salons uIe uDOuI W O0
closed by law, and the great bankers who
own them are looking about anxiously for
some refuge for their tables and croupiers'
NJ. Blanc, the leader Of this illicit flnancier-
ing, has, it is said, made proposals for their
admission into Paris, and oyertures have been
made to both the Russian and Italian Gov
ernments for their admission, with good
chances of success from the former The outer
gravity and decOrum which have always char
acterized the kursaals have in these later days
given way to the widest disorder and open
dishonesty. All the fierce passions so long
kept concealed have thrown aside their masks
in these last hours before the dance closes,
and broken into their natural fury.
Nothing strikes an American more oddly
than the legalized position and firm standing
so long held by the gambling business abroad.
II 3 one form of vice which never has become
indigenous to our social soil: the American
speculates, plays an odd game of poker or
faro. risks more or less heavily his earnings in
lotteries. But these arc occasional side issues
of his life: naturally he is neither gambler
nor dishonest. In the statistics OF crime
in this country it is curious to note the differ
eut causes which have driven foreigners
and natives into our jails and prisons.
The numbers are about equal the
nervous, energetic nature Of the American,
however, asserts itself even here; he ordlna-
rily is urged into vice by drunkenness; if he
steals or swindles, it is done with some active
sense of dramatic effect-a certain zest ana
humor; he seldom degenerates into lumpy.
Enert thief by trade If he murders, 1t Is III
fght OF with some demon of hate or revenge
to urge his hand; such dull butchery as that
of the brute Probst, who killed bis eight We
tins for twenty dollars, or the woman Rob
inson. now on trial in England for poison
ing twenty human beings for petty sums OF
life insurance, could never have been the work
OF an American.
Whether our honesty, however, results from
any superiority of moral nature is not so GER
tain. There is q virtue born of lack OF temp
tation, comfortable and pleasant enough for
everyday use, but not especially worthy OF
praise. The American, with his feet planted
on half unoccupied continent, where apples
of gold wait on dishes Of silver for the hand
willing TO take them up, must have soul ex-
ceptionally small and vicious if he chooses
rather to earn miserable pittance by filching
from his neighbours pocket. A case occurred
the other day in O London court which APPLY
illustrates our meaning. A certain Aldridge
was tried and found guilty of steal
ing a pair Of boots, the property
"of tho Queen" as they were taken
from Government stores. He was sentenced
to heavy fine, hard labor, and Imprisonment
of six weeks, when few questions by juror
elected, we arc told, the compassion of the
audience. Said Aldridge was stated to work
eleven hours per day for about three dollars a
week. That human nature should~recom-
pense itself for poor wages and hard work by
stealing bOots-Or any other wherewithal to
make life endurable-is not commendable per-
haps but only to be expected That human
nature in America should lead the dishonest
man into picturesque and gigantic schemes of
swindling is equally probable, and probability
is here the fact.