The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1877-08-18
sHRlNEAGL IN VALUES TEMPTATION.


SHRlNRA6E IN VALUES TEMPTATION,
The oXtraorlmaryshrlnkage IN values
which has been going on ineXorably Tor
eight years has produced results strange
ly significant, aud strongly indicative of
the general decentralization which has
attended the rise, progress and set
Element Of our great national dill
Guilty, Tho bloody war winch ragged
for four long years has stamped not
only its bitter memories, but its vast
immortality, upon the country, The
opportunities presented, by war to oc'
cumulatc vast fortunes by other than
honest and simple means were eagerly
clutched ut, Men who had been bred
to poverty, and who only expect'
ed to get through the world eyen'
ly balanced between ease and alb
ject want, suddenly became rich and
Haunted their newlyaoquired import
ance before the eyes Of their less
fortunate fellows. Instead OF exciting
disgust, the circumstance produced the
determination to DO rich again ut all
hazards, or at any sacrifice of honor or
good morals. The shrinkage which
became 30 general all over the Goun'
try rendered all this still more diff
cult OF attainment and extraordinary
efforts to overcome extraordinary diili'
culties became tho rule. In many illus
trious instances men of the proudest
names and of the most ancient lineage
became common forgers and ruthless
thieves. Everything was sacrificed il
the effort TO preserve style which tn,
hard times rendered impossible to hon
est effort. Belknap, Babcock, Tweed
and an hundred more, went down il
the common vortex. 1t has been tn,
proud boast that the south has accepted
the situation and its attendant and in
evitable poverty in good faith and W.
are proud that but few southern mel
have succumbed to the temptations ant
the opportunities presented by theloose
ness OF the times.
1t has been reserved for Texas to fur
nish an llustrous example of the com
plete surrender of manhood, honor ant
brilliant prospects, for II pitiful sum
One of the best known and apparentl,
one of her merchants of high
est character, has been detecte,
in series of glaring frauds, torger
les of wide extent, and these ex
tending over five or six years. Hobby
the poet, statesman and pink of mer
camille honor, forges railroad shares
land certificates and God knows wha
else, lives in peace and quiet dignity
writes poetry and letters for the leadinj
papers of Texas, leads the Young Men
Christian association, is active in Sun
| day. school and other christian enter
prises, contributing literally of othe
mems money to these and similar wor
thy objects, and yet with reckless
boldness forging paper habitually anC
only relying upon good fortune to es
cape prison But when detection
came, with tears as unmanly and as un
seemly MS ever dropped from the eye o
man. he seeks to shift to brother
shoulders the load of guilt which ha
become through and by detection alone
too intolorable to be borne.
Let this be warning to all others sit
sated as Hobby was, and when opportu
nifty comes, to acquire riches unlawiully
let them remember that we can easily
pay too large price for money, and
the sort of responsibility which attends
its possession. Poverty may, and doubt
less does pinch, such men as Hobby
more perhaps, than many others, but
surely man with his nice instincts, pc
etical turn and cultured taste, must
suffer the torments of the damned
while, locked up on such a charge as
the one which he is now vainly labor
ing to clear himself from How silly
and how excessively short.sighted must
the man be, who would enjoy comfort:
and honor bought at such price, The
hard times, caused by the great shrink
erage, may reduce honest men from
wealth to poverty put the poet tC
blowing, but it can never justify tn,
fraudulent acquisition of money, let the
temptation be never so great.