The Grange advance., 1873-12-03
The Communists Of Wall Street.

The number Of men who date their ruin
from the day they permitted themselves to
be led aside by the demoralizing and fas-
cinating influences of Wall street, will nev-
er be known. Of late years, the startling
developments constantly made, cause sober
men to ask themselves, with bated breath,
"who next, and whom can we trust ?"
The greedy lust for gold spares neither sex
nor age. Just as many Of the respectable
citizens Of Paris, workingmen, soldiers,
professional men and scholars, first toler-
ated, then sanctioned, then joined the COM
mune, and rushed with rapid strides to
arson, robbery, murder and ignominious
fates and deaths, so scores of men, in every
station in life, eminent in attainments and
position in the church and out of the
church, in private and in public life, in the
desire for sudden wealth, for increased in
comes, for denied luxuries, first cast side
long glance, then timidly venture-then
boldly plunge; if successful, Infatuated
if losing, desperate, they are driven head
long, until with their sense Of honor lost,
their consciences blunted, their standing
threatened, they become liars, thieves,
forgers, fugitives, and victims of outraged
laws. Strong words-but true as gospel
Column upon column could be filled with
instances, but no reader Of this can fail to
appreciate the truth Of the broad state
ment. Sad to say, the most striking ex-
amples are not to be found among the low
ly, or ignorant and poor-these sin in q
different way, and while properly punished,
have some mitigatory circumstances, by
reason of their station, want of knowledge,
and poverty; but that youth of liberal
education, of brilliant social position, with
afluent surroundings and an assured fu-
ture, should forge millions to gamble in
gold-that trusted government officials,
with ample salaries, should embezzle hun
dreds of thousands Of public money to spec
ulate in stocks-that an educated and &C.
complished man, the son Of trusted lead
er in the church, should steal half a million
from the safe Of the company he managed,
to cast into the black and deadly pool of
Wall street, are offenses I" so rank that they
cry aloud to heaven
And the misery of these poor wretches
as they are running their course! The
ever present consciousness Of waning vir-
tue, and Of undeserved conference.-the
watchful efforts to conceal the fraud-the
anxious days and sleepless nights-the
anguish of loving, faithful and innocent
hearts when discovery comes! But what
matters all this to the harpies of Wall
street-these are "the outsiders" they
want to "rope in" and "bleed." 4
" brokers' market" is dull enough, but
when the cup town and country orders"
come in, they sweetly sing will you come
into my parlor? said the spider to the fly,''
and their care-w worn faces are illumined
with a smile, far more innocent than that
which played over the countenance Of All
Sin with his ambush Of right bowers, but
with their hearts burning with deadlier
intent than that which actuated the guile
less celestial in his little game with western
roughs.
In large majority of cases these 'bank-
ers and brokers " are perfectly cognizant Of
the fact that their customers are operating
with stolen funds, No cashier, on $1,000
to $4,000 year, can put up margins of
ten, twenty or fifty thousand dollars on
Pacific Mail, except by using the moneys
OF his company. No government paymas-
ters or collectors can buy and sell large
blocks Of stocks or gold out of his SALARY.
but so long as he does not tell his brokers
that he is stealing, although they know it
perfectly well, they are most satisfied to
make their heavy commissions out Of him.
and if they are pious, thank God for send.
ing 80 valued q customer. S@-
If we could transport our Wall street
communists to some penal colony, our
troubles would be ended, or if we could
hedge them in and let them cheat and prev
upon each other, the country would expe-
rience an immense relief, but as unfortu-
nately neither can be done, what remains
whereby their pernicious influence, if not
0Aatrnva6 can ho laoaAnaN p tf1" .<< a',s@'s =
Judge and jury and jailor seem to have
no effect, for as one poor victim is removed,
two take his place. How can minister
find it in his heart to denounce those who
rent his best pews, and place big bills on