Los Angeles daily herald., 1876-02-10
What is the Matter /?

there is real scarcity of money, but if
there is it does not explain the whole
matter. Money is timid and hides
from suspected danger. There is so
much embezzlement; failure; suspen-
sion; liquidation compromise; set
tlement without paying; that conf
dence is sick unto death. This is a
day of investigation. Congressional
Committees and Grand Juries, in di-
vers places, have undertaken to look
into things. Let there be no finch
ing-let the bottom be seen. In pub
lie office under federal, State or NUM-
cipal government, men are getting
more money than they are entitled to
getting rich when their legitimate
salaries will not meet their lavish ex-
penditures. We often say of such
men that they cheat the government
when we should more properly say,
the people are robbed. Every day we
hear of some great robbery involving
thousands of dollars. If hungry
hummer takes loaf of bread that does
not belong to him, men call it steal
ing, and visit condign punishment on
him. But if we'll fed, daring, cum
ming fellow can manage to get hold
hundred, or five hundred thousand
dollars by Credit Mobelier, Crook
ed Whisky, or false Custom
House entry, men call it embez-
element. The passion to accu-
mulate fortunes rapidly leads men to
commit "theft,n not embezzlement.
This passion is the curse of the coun-
try, and never will be removed until
the basis of credit changes = until
character, and not property, becomes
the strength of a mans commercial
credit. How it would improve the
morals of the country if it were un-
derstood everywhere that man, in
order to be trusted, must be honest as
we'll as rich; must show character as
well as collaterals. To remedy the
stringency in the money market ev-
cry honest citizen should go to work
to create healthier public sentiment.
One of the first things to do is to call
things by their right and proper
names. Call spade a "spade," call
stealing "stealing," no matter what
the thing stolen be, whether loaf of
bread, Spring chicken or S5O0,OOO
If there is any reason why gentle
man should not associate with a sheep
thief, the same reason exists why he
should not associate with one who
steals railroad or robs the public
treasury. Stealing from the public
crib is as mean as stealing from pri-
vate citizen. The official who grows
rich by what money sticks to his fin
gers over and above his legitimate
salary is no less thief than the man
who steals sheep. Says moral phi
losopher: "Men need to he taught
that the rights of the State are insep-
cradle with those of the individual,
and no less sacred" while the laws
that protect the revenues should mete
out to offenders the same punishment
as those that protect private property.
"There is no moral difference between
he who robs the public and he vino
robs any of its individual members"
The meaning, however, which modern
society attaches to peculation liz office
and to all large frauds goes far towards
softening public Judgment of the
same. 1t cannot be denied that the
taxes paid by the honest laborer too
often find their way into the Golfers of
the few who are guilty of public theft.
Hence the increased perpetual burden
of taxation, direct and indirect. This
is what's the matter. Our parties are
too often the parties of circumstances
and not of principle. To use the Ian
guage of Emerson, "The spirit of all
Radicalism is destructive and aimless.
That of Conservatism is too often TIM
i'd or merely defusive." What we
want is public rebuke of big thieves
as well as little ones-thieves in office
as we'll as out of office. We want
healthy, virtuous, public sentiment
which will brook crime of any sort or
in anybody. So long as the voters and
laboring taxpayers submit to be lead
by designing men men false to the
high trusts of office-so long will they
groan beneath burdensome taxation.
If the revenues of our government
were legitimately and economically
applied, great financial credit and
prosperity would be the result. Again
satifaction with legitimate and fair
wages in all departments of industry,
legitimate profits in all professions
will restore healthy tone to our finan-
cial affairs, while fewer lamentable
failures would result. How slow the
few, and the masses are, to learn that
"honesty is the best policy;n that
men should always labor for the sake
of, and from principle, and not for
principle. That's what's the matter
The sinking fund propositions of
the TTniOn and Central Pacific Rail-