New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-02-08
JOHN THOMAS ON MINOR MORALS.


JOHN THOMAS ON MINOR MORALS.
We have been accustomed to look to John
Thomas for guidance in matters affecting 90
ciety, bat when he takes o departure into
ethics. Il must be confessed that his lead is
not to be blindly followed. John Thomas has
steadily defended every man who could by
any stretch of generosity be attached to the
great following of the nobility Of Washington.
All his editorials in The Times are redcent OF
incense burned on the shrine Of greatness.
With him, the Administration can do no wrong.
So when Mr.. Murphy was caught levying
taxes on the Custom house officials, John
Thomas thought that this indiscretion should
be hushed up; it was an old abuse, end cry
ing abuse it was, to be sure but this was the
first time anything had got out about 1t, and,
really, it was a little too bad to begin with Dir.
Murphy; better wait until some Democrat, some
person not of gentle blood, should be detected
in this nefarious business aud then we would
make fearful din. So with Leet, who was
directly connected with the great folks-was,
indeed, one of them John Thomas forgot
himself 80 far as to say that his conduct
in reference to the General Order business was
exceedingly improper and "indelic9te;" but
he recovered himself and deferred to the gen.
tlemanliness Of the speculative Colonel so
much as to compare all the fuss about him
and his doings to n mere tempest in teapot. AS
he stood behind his masters chair, no heard
him poOl-pOOh the whole investigation BY the
Committee mere bagatelle; this sort of
thing had always been done in the Govern
ment why now make such q row about the
gentle Ieet; he should not be the vicariOus
sacrifice for whole generation OF Custom
house plunderers and "plum' gatherers. Why
snap up the inspectors who took brides, and
the tide-waitcrs who, connived at smuggling
They are not the fast dclinquents.
And now that NJ Terwilliger, who belongs
to the retainers of the nobility, has como to
grief, John Thomas makes haste to his de-
fense. Really, he says, this Is carrying things
too far. Mr. Tervilliger has only been taking
toll On the work which he, is Legislative mes
senger, carried 30 the public printers; why
should such pother be made about few
thousand dollar raked down in this wayf
:. ft may be and is bad CUSTOM" quoth tho
superserviceabls John Thomas; but Mr.. Ter
"willger is mt guilty Of any special Offense
4" in following it," There it is again, you see |;
your true turnkey likes nothing so much as
precedent. Stealing is u disreputable bust
ness, and no gentleman should allow
himself to be caught at it; but if he
should be 20 unlucky, Let Ms acknowledge that
it needs must be that Offenses come, but woe
unto the offense. "Let us abolish the cus-
"tOm," says John Thomas, plalntively, "but
ado not let us pick out q man here and there,
land call him o criminal for doing that which
ais thought lawful and proper in these eases"
To be sure, let us abolish the Offense, but
spare the Offender-if he is one of the family.
If there have been plunderers, thieves, and
cOrruptOrs OF public morals let us not be too
hard upon them, but wait until some one. not
of as, is caught. Then we will make pro-
digious cutlery at the exceeding sinfulness of
sin.
We can see how admirably this sort of shap-
ing public opinion would answer, if all men
followed the leadership of John Thomas. Men
in office have stolen the public money, destroyed
the public archives, and pundered the tax
payers. What would be the use Of holding up
TO execraiOn Tweed and his acOmplices, Just
because they have been detected Men did
this before; all dishonest in place will steal
then why make such Outcryf This is where
John ThOmas's logic leads him. If Collector
Murphy followed time hODOred precedent in
levying assessments on the salaries of his en-
ployts; if Leet only dipped his hands into q
pool which was already corrupted if Senator
Conkling's primary strikers only collected Gus
tom-house blackmail where other strikers had
collected il before them; if Terwligcr charged
q commission On his official patronage of the
public printers,-wby, why make example of
any of themf There has been corruption ever
since the world began; 1t is not worth while
to attempt to stop it now, while our family
friends are in it. John Thomas. your logic is
worse than your morals. Your education in
the kitchen and pantry ought to teach you
that you cannot make fish of one and fowl of
the other. Where would you BE- if you treated
Tweed and Connolly az you do Lcct and Tor
willigerf
W., inf nat ~