The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-23

If any ingenious youth Of easy or uncertain
morality and without the fear Of the law
before his eyes should venture to reflect upon
the enormous spoil gathered in the aggregate
by the thousands of thieves who prey on a
community SO rich as ours what would
probably be his next thought We fear it
might be an aspiration to share the plumber
as an easy road to sudden wealth. His imag-
nation would group in one common haul the
diamonds at Tiffanys the laces and tissues
at Stewards, the gold in thousand vaults.
the bonds everywhere and even scorning the
petty pilferings that with their apparently
pitiful accretion perhaps Guido the greas
strokes in the general result, lie would be fired
with the thirst of cupidity and resolve to make
an effort thus to enrich himself But II he
were coward, too-if he were mean rogue,
who, with enough spirit to desire great success
Of any sort, was without the mettle to face
peril in the pursuit, what then2 His problem
would be how 10 divide with the thieves and
keep up an appearance Of honesty; and the
problem would be solved for him as if by an
Irish echo-which would instantly answer
become a detective policeman And we ara
not sure that this is not just the mental pro-
cess by which our detectives are led TO aspire
to their places. The policemans place is @
safe ground from which to tap the great
stream of plumber, and it would be surprising
if the temptation were always resisted. and
still more surprising if the evil did not grow
to gigantic proportions when no policeman
who thus becomes the confederate OF thieves
has ever been sent to State Prison, though we'
know offences Of this sort to be the conn
monest in the calendar But what is the
remedy Here is this enormous amount of
the stolen property corruption fund to
bride the police and on the other hand IS
the moderate stipend Of honestly earned pay.
How in the dispIoportion of these two shall we
make them content with the smaller sum,
when good repute seems not to be regarded
on one hand nor dishonor feared on the
other, and when our whole criminal system
is SO rotten that punishment is impossible?
THE VALUE OF THE PRESIDENTS SIGMA
TURE- By Washington item it appears
that the market value Of General Grants slg-
nature j. ten dollars For the signature Of Al
silent man and hero this is not exorbtant.
and yet il is proposed to pursue criminal!y
the man who wrote the signature and sold II
for this moderate sum. Apparently, the mama
was written as well as General Grant ever
writes it himself, and in evidence of this
stands the fact that it was supposed by soma
persons to have been written by the General.
But it seems to be considered that tho crime
in the case was in signing this great name to-
document recommending tie appointment
to Office Of a worthless person. Now, when
We consider what sort Of persons Grant has
himself recommended to office-when we con-
slider that the same great name, as written by
its bearer, has scarcely ever urged the APP
pointment Of any but the unit-we wonder
that his fatterers can be 50 maladroit as 10
propose the imprisonment Of anybody for an
offence that His Excelency commits an
average three hundred and thirteen timcs
every wear