Middletown transcript., 1876-01-15
1855 the Law has not been complied
With It is good law. but it would
he better still tn mt the defaulters in.

with It is good law. but it woul
be better still to put the defaulters il
variably into the penitentiary. On
year Of righteous justice would save th
country millions Of money in the future
When such treasurers as Mann, Z
Saratoga county. are caught in thei
abuse of trust, they should be sternl
held in the hand Of ofjustice. 1t is earn
estly to be hoped that the professor Q
religion, Pond. Of Worcester, may b
compelled to hard labor 10 States Pri
son till the last day Of his life on earth
Aud there are other men whose name
have stood high in the church ant
whose false pretences have beggaret
thousands. yet these 6nanciers arr
clothed in 6ne linen and fare sumptu
ously every day, while their victims
are hungry and cold. These are seri
ous matters. and big with future ills.
It is not desirable to revive capita
punishment for crimes against property
Let it be granted that the law con.
demning DR.. Dodd to death was wrong,
and was wisely modified. But the
crime, and all similar crimes, by which
the money Of others is taken from them
by forgery, or defalcation. or breach ol
trust, or carelessness, or deception OF
fraud, ought to be punished as crime.
not compromised, covered up. excused
and SO encouraged.
Here is the weakness Of the public
conscience in this dawn of q new CEN
tury Of the Republic. This is the fail
ing link 10 the social chain at the pre-
sent day. Men look upon money crimes
as venial sins. One hundred years
ago, Bill Tweed and Connolly and
Sweeny, and all the men who took the
peoples money for work they never
did. WOULD HAVE BEEN HUNG Harry
Genet and Tom Fields would have
graced the gallows (,hey never graced
anything else.) How is it now? It is
impossible to discover public feeling
that DEMANDS the punishment Of official
thieves. A hundred years ago the men
that let Tweed escape would have been
hung. by law or without law. The lat
ter would have been worse than their
crime: but now there is no official vir-
tue nor popular indignation to make
even an inquiry into the matter pos
sibility.
To what is this tending? Each ad-
vancing year increases the desire for
wealth. diminishes the security Of prop
erty. enhances the number. the pay and
the opportunities Of men holding judi
cial places, weakens public, conscience
respecting stealing, blurs the eighth
commandment in the decalogue. mag
niiss the influence Of riches, rewards
success in getting money without scru-
pie as to the means. and puts honor on
men who should be dressed in striped
woolens, breaking stone instead Of the
laws. in the prisons Of the country.
Children in school and in the family
should be taught ''it is q sin to steal
d pin, much more greater thing" l
do not wish to see the gallows made the
punishment for stealing. But. with the
incoming of the second century Of the
l would be rejoiced to see
revival Of common honesty. Things
would then be called by their right
names, and treasurers. clerks and trus-
tees, directors and traders, bankers, and
all who have the watch and care Of
other peoples money, would understand
that the meanest thief in this world.
meaner than the sneak thief who climb.
into the window while we are st dinner
and steals, meaner than the man who
steals his neighbor's sheep in. the night.
is that professedly honest Christian who
has the custody of another's money and
puts it to bis own use, or the man who
abuses the confidence Of his fellow men
BY forgery or aud.-Ireneus, in NeH
York Observer.