The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-02-14
The Men who Discrea,t Character.


1t is useless to seek excuses and extern
uations for the crimes in unexpected quar-
tiers that have shocked the public senti-l
ment. The way to prevent them is to
show possible offenders of this kind that
no Rlozing or theorizing or explanation will
avail to conceal the fact of vulgar swind-
ling. The career of James Fisk was an
illustration of the condition Of the public
mind that encourages frauds and dishon.
esty of every kind. He was known rep.
rebate, but he was treated with perfect
good humor. His sayings and doings were
gayly reported. He was, as Cicero de-
scribed Catalina, corrupter of youth, but
he was treated as joke. Now if people
under sore stress of temptation to steal,
see that the mere reputation of great
riches secures a kind of testing immunity
from censure, they will probably steal.
The more intelligent man is, and the
more familiar with pure and refined infu-
ence, the greater is his guilt when he
yields to the sophistry that ruins him.
de at least can measure not only the
gross outward consequences of his offense
the unspeakable sorrow and shame Of his
family, the loss and embarrassment and
disaster of his friends and those who have
loss of faith in honesty, and the suspicion
that almost threatens the best character
the cynlcism that sneers at all effor
toward cleanerEways- of life, and even al
all praise of it. This is, perhaps, the
worst effect Of these frequent frauds
among intelligent and respectable persons
that they sharpen sneer at virtue itself
Scotfers are embroidered to stigmatize al
good endeavor as hypocrisy; and to call {
man goody- goody, or 10 sneer at him al
reformer too good for this world, and 81
pure that even the heavenly pavement
would enrich his garments, is actually Il
discredit him in many minds.
A late estimate of Sir Robert Walpolt
says, shrewdly, in estimating his influence
over the men of his time: He pretended
to no elevation of character; there was u
sentiment in his politics; but his contem
poraries sneered at elevation of character
and were cynically contemptuous of senti
ment. Except at those periods of history
when the influence of great ideas hal
raised men for time above the common
level OF humanity, as was the case in thu
Puritan period, moral fairness is positiv,
recommendation with the great body O
practical men," This feeling and tenden
cy are promoted by nothing more thai
by the crimes and the fall Of men of tn
highest standing Their fate fosters dis
trust OF the expression of noble ideas a
cant, and OF heroic endeaYOr as sentimen
tai folly. The same critic of Walpole says
iellcltously, that in his time IAN homes
man meant one who honestly disclaimet
elevation of purpose.
We are familiar in our day with tina
standard. We all know the .an who doc
not pretend to be any better than othe
men, who hopes that he is as honest as h;
fellows, aud who is satisfied with some
thing less than the millennium. His snee
IS gratifying to the great mass of men VIII
accept the common standards OF conduc
and the usual practices of those aroun
them, and who do so because steppinr n
Is always more difficult than slipping alon,
The suggestion ofprogress is always dis,
greeable to those who are content to stan
still, especially if conscience re.euforc,
the argument Of progress. And such pe
pie welcome eagerly sneer which impli,
that the advocate of progress is SELLS
Mawworm, Jim Fisk" could have tur
ed the laugh of his comrades on John mi
ton. But that was of little importan
until John Milton should Justify the snee
Then it would become q general calamit
And this is precisely what the respectful
criminals of the last year have done, Tn,
have discredited character itself. a,
made the appeal to it feebler.-EDIToB
EASY CHAIR, in Harper's Magazine