, 1876-06-11
LET THIEVES BE MADE OD1OUS.


is the general disposition to look upon whis-
ky-stealing from the Government as differ
ent matter from ordinary theft from indi-
viduals, and upon the Justification of official
oaths as less heinous than other kinds Of
false swearing. Society, and particularly or
ganized society as represented by official
bodies, must protect itself against the infec-
ton of this vicious and dangerous fallacy.
The idea is already too common that it is no
crime to swindle the Government. It can
not be further encouraged or tolerated with
out serious danger to our social aud political
son why the whisky-thief and perjured
official should be excluded from the councils
of the people as there is why the man who
robs a till should be shut out from similar
opportunities and association with honest
people. If there is any difference between
the two cases it is in favor Of the ignorant
and petty thief. whose necessities or asso-
Citations may have betrayed him into his
crime, and against the man who has enjoyed
the restraining influences Of position, means,
and association with decent men, but who
has, nevertheless, betrayed the trust confded
to him, stolen from those who had trusted
him, and systematically perjured himself for
money. The American people cannot en-
dure the generalization Of permitting such
men to go right along in public service it
will be fatal to all official integrity in the
future.
~ &Efr IL 1,f7f$ f$n9j
like JAcK BuNsBYs-is sin the application
on t." It is obvious enough: The blather-
slite named HuDkETH, for instance, is
confessed thief and perjurer; but his own
moral perception is 80 Opaque and his moral
nature SO impervious that he makes his reg
ular appearance in the Common Council,
pending his sentence, and continues to defy
public opinion and common decency with
the same insolence as before ne had caused
himself to be written down knave.- There
should be some means Of ridding the Coun-
eli Of this pestilential element. If the
Council has not resources Of its own for kick
ing him ont Csince he has not the decency to
1esignl, the Board of Health should proceed
against him as q pernicious and poisonous
piece of garbage that threatens BY his pres
ence the sanitary condition Of the corpora
ton. HEsNo, likewise, clings to his place
in the Park Commission on the North Side,
though he voluntarily enrolled himself among
the whisky-thieves, and made public con-
fession of a long career Of blackmailing and
q lifelong devotion to taddition, division,
and silence in political life. In insisting
upon retaining his semi-publio connection
with the Park Commission, he has shown
less appreciation Of his present attitude be-
fore the community than has his old associ-
ate, JAKE REuH. Now, in these and all
other eases public morals actually de-
mand the retirement from all official
and public places Of the men who
have been engaged in defrauding the
Government; if they will not accept such re-
tirement voluntarily, then it should be en-
forced A New Orleans Judge, in sentenc-
ing recent batch Of convicted 7whisky-
thieves, reverted to the fact that it had been
his misfortune to be forced to send ignorant
foreigners and negroes to the Penitentiary
for petty violations OF law, and he could not
be expected to, and would not, permit the
men who had deliberately robbed the Gov
ernment, with the full knowledge of the
enormity Of their crime, to escape with a
light or nominal punishment. The same
rule, being fair and just one, should gov
ern the action of all those who represent the
people in a corporate OF public capacity in
dealing with the whisky-thieves here and
elsewhere, It is not enough to punish the
men who have robbed the Government; the |
offense itself should be made odious.