The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1875-02-11
THINGS ARE nor WHAT THEY SEEN


Even the most casual observer must have no
ticel the disposition OF the present generation
to appear other than they really are. We sup
pose that it has been the case since the i:apos-
ture ofJacob and will be the same uatl the s'last
syllable Of recorded tinie III Rochesoucanld says
that SIN the grief OF msc,lanca CT q friend, we
may note there is something which always
gives pleasure y AMI the profit Afforded many
of the huinbags OF the day by the misfortune OF
their fellow creatures, IS eridenc.l by the finn
ing advertisements Of gift enterprises for the
bcnefc of OrphansS scattered throughout the
length and breadth Of the land. No sooner had
the grass-hopper plague OF Kansas reached the
centre Of the nation, than swift Upon its heels
comes an agent soliciting means for the Com
fort OF the destitute people Of that regien, who,
after having touched the synipathies and pock-
cts df warm hearted men, turns out to be All
siaposter and approprates the funds to his in
dividual purposes. Many other such swindles
are Brought before our eyes every day, and they
have become SO frequent that we scarcely no.
tice them.
Counterfeiting in all its prominent features,
is the leading characteristic which is observa-
BILE in the smallest as well as the most impor-
tant affairs of life.
The country boy comes to town and immsdi-
ately fortifes his pretensions to city raising
by investing his spare cash in cigar, and as he
takes an alternate puff and look, is thoroughly
satisfied that the most acute eye will never be
able to discover the fraud. The town boy ar
rives in the city and is perfectly bewildered will
the sights and people, yet he smothers his
amazement and tries to assume the sang .froid
Of denizen of the crowded streets, and as he
struts up and down with nervous gait and rest
less eve, convinces himself that the counterfeit
goes undetected. The politician enters the
halls of Congress and regales his hearers with
an eloquent explosion on patriotism and the
duty of the public servants to economic the
public fund, while at the same time he sneaks
his hand into Uncle Sans wallet and gobbles
up hundreds Of thousands. When confronted
with the evidences Of his guilt, he denies all
knowledge of the affair at all, and comes before
the people in the garb OF injured innocence,
expecting them to disbelieve.the results Of the
rules of arithmetic. And SO we might go on
multiplying instances in which the ass head is
covered with garlands through which his long
ears protrude, and in the end we would find
| the paths and highways all centering at the
same objective point. Our purpose, however, is
| not to detail synopsis Of the contents Of the
daily journals but to inquire into the causes
which have produced such results.
| From the time Of those 'sirreciaimable days
in which we crampt our awkward fists in en-
deavoring to give the proper curve to unreaog-
! nizable pot hooks, we have been taught that
s'hopesty is the best policy" that 'virtue is it's
own reward" ssBe sure your sins will find you
out" and 9th er like wholesome naaxims in the
hope that they would be indelbly impressed
on our pliable minds and that our actions, in
time to come, would be governed by them
We were told that they embrace this cream OF
the experiences OF great and good men, and
setting the image OF George Washington before
our minds eye, we resolved to be great and
good also. Perhaps that resolution was kept
until recess, at which time we played for
keeps with our bosom friend and desk-mate,
who was a notorious ''fudge, "while we played a
fair square game. When the bell rang it soan-
ded the diree Of one of the copy book maxlnas,
for while virtue might be rewarded: the boy
who spoked" won all the marbles.
Later OIL, when the dog-eared copy book
had given place to the new calf bound Virgil,
our ambition refunded to the tune Of ssDtras
labor dmniG viacit," and in testing the worth
OF the text we burnt the midnight Oil, follow
ing the flying steps Of Enc or admiring the
stratagem Of the wooden horse, while our room
| mate lolled around, played billiards OF went
visiting, In the morning he calae to have the
lesson read, would make notes on it, and then
sscranl'' until the class was called. Although
not able to give tHe exact translation, the pro-
lessor was satisfied that he understood the sub
stance Of tie lesson, and if no parsing was re-
CURED, why, in all probability, we took stand
below the boy whom we knew to be f,vt class
fraud, and as that knowledge came another
copy book maxim s'went glimmering through
the dream of things that were,,'' for we felt
confident that that sin would never bring any-
thing to light.
Later still, and we enter the broad field of
life and putting our hand to the plow, looked
not back, but with resolute energy turned the
stubborn soil and trusted to the future for sure
reward. Our nearest neighbor, with the same
amount Of worldly goods, turns over his place
to all oversecr, dresses fine, wears diamonds
and drives fast horses, all of which are pHrchas-
ed with a mortgage. but he continues to borrow
and borrow, representing his estate as unin-
numbered, and for a while enjoys the fat of the
land and IS the pet of society. We contemplate
the bubble and half envy it, as it scars higher
and higher, for it bears the semblance of true
worth and usitrps the place of an honest man,
and while it remains the centre OF attraction,
we begin to question the policy of honesty.
We have thu. endeavored, III homely way,
to trace tie stream OF swindles to three sources
-aYaricousness, Incidence and extravaganza,
and we cannot think that we have fallen lar
short OF the mark. At the same time it has
been our purpose to show the hollowness OF all
expedicnts whose object is the evasion of an
honest intent; for while they may, for time,
deceive even the Wisest, Their doom is fxed and
certain. We are aware that we have thrown
no new light on the subject, for every body
claims to denouace frauds whenever discovered,
and we do not essay to turn the living lies from
their wonted ways, for such a fight would be
the old battle of the Trojans against the Gods,
but our intention has been mainly to warn our