The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-11-23
RELIGIOUS D%EPAULTERs.

That the directors Of the Glasgow
bank were permitted to conduct their
business of cheat in so quiet a manner,
is not strange, since they were most Of
them men OF high standing in the
'skirk.r Always foremost in church
building, leading off with magnificent
subscriptions, they soon obtained a
lofty respect from their deluded fellow
men. One was president Of the young
mems christian association; another
was a leading elder; a third superintend-
ed a large and flourishing Sunday
school; and so on. They were so rami-
fed throughout religious interests that
not even ''the breath of suspicion was
eve exhaled against them. And even
when the crash came, the ruined stock
holders were 10th to harbor the thought
that the Cody directors were the cause
of the disaster. But they were, and
the Scotch character, which is most
strong upon the discovery of duplicity,
asserted itself In the stockholders who
o o had the hypocritical scoundrels
behind merciful prison bars.
Twas aver thus. Men who have
flagrantly violated trusts reposed in
them have been of the fypocritical Or
der. They obtained responsible posi-
tions on account of their ''good stand
ing in society,"" and that cloak served
admirably the purpose of c%oncealing
their hellish transactions. Not all of
our great defaulters have been of thi s
class, but by far the majority. Nor is
religion to be condemned therefor.
Those defaulters may have purposely
attired their wolfsh earcasses in the
clothing of the meek and docile sheep,
solely with the design Of accomplishing
their crimes. They trusted all the
while that the supposed good character
they bore during their probation would
atone for the offense after its commit
al; or, that the eye of suspicion would
never rest on them in its searching
glaices for the culprits.
~ Sittoo VI Cilliillltlo 10 lCtlll lilO
worst in society, and always skaters
it most. One would not be astonished
IL the clerk of q faro bank had alb
seconded with a sum Of money. 1t is In
the nature Of the business, and some
what on the weak hypothesis that ''the
second thief is the best owner" Society
has a station for such a criminal. 1t
is at the lowest stratum. Society re-
CARDS him as a criminal before the COM
mission of the last act. So society is
not really injured by him, MOI is moral
ity disturbed. But the would-be saint
ly thief-he who had forged himself
into a pillar to sustain the social fabric,
and then voluntarily fell, weakens the
structure just as much as a roof would
be impaired by removing one Of its sup
ports.
1t will be urged that such offences
cannot be stopped, since. like most mis-
demeanors, they are known only after
the fact. True; but the instances OF
imitation can be lessened. A few
years ago when the great wave of dis
honesty carried down so many of 'soci-
ety's brightest jewels" plying world
forgave the great transgressions, and
merely nominal punishments were in
hicted. Soon the 'sindiscretion"-a
~viciously mild term for the offense-
spread, until an alarmed sentiment
commanded severe punishment, and
the crimes soon lessened. 'Scotch JUS
tice" will also work wonderful preven-
tion in Scotland. The first great deed
is promptly and most vigorously taken
in hand, and it is safe to say that there
will be precious few additional cases of
defaulting there. That country is in
the same depressed condition as was
the United States when contraction
prompted speculation. We had a sea-
son of it. Scotland has had one case
and a INDUSTRIOUS n at that. But that
there will be more, we cannot belle We,
seeing that mock sympathy works no
power-not yer for the very common
veal of bail,