Litchfield enquirer., 1878-06-06
The Dishonesty of the Times.

MR. EDIToR.-There may be those among your readers who can recollect a time when general corruption and dishonesty were more prevalent in this country than they have been during the past ten years, but the writer does not belong to that number.
 In the first place, how do our business men, state esmen, and divines of the present day com pare with those of fifteen or twenty years age (to say nothing of the earlier characters in our history)? Are they as honest sincere, and un- impeachable class throughout as formerly Are they held in as high esteem and trusted with the same confidence by the people !? I can not believe they are. In view of the constant stream of frauds, thefts, defalcations, embez- clements, etc., together with the disclosure concerning many individuals of the highest po- sition and fame, which have taken place within the past few years, and yet continue-who can think otherwise?
 That the amount of dishonesty existing in business, politics, and religion in this country previous to the Civil War was great, and great ly increased in many respects by the War, I do not doubt. But, to whatever extent dishon- esty may have attained heretofore in large l classes of society, was there ever period since the foundation of the Republic when we need ed dmore andhad less truly hoaest men than in this present decade? We need more honest clerks, agents, and employees in business; more hon. 1 est bankers trustees and associations more honest business and professional men of all kinds; more honest politicians and political honest, upright ministers of the Gospel te preach truth and honesty. Oh for some of the honesty of the fathers But as time moves on, society seems to be drifting farther and farther away from all those manly and Christian virtues which cur earlier ancestors possessed. Let any one glance ! over the records of events which have been made public through the press for successive years and they will form an idea of the extent | to which dishonesty has reached.
 may here remark that one of the most prominent features of our period is the forma- tion of combinations or parties of men secretly acting in concert to enrich themselves or gain some selfish end by dishonorable, unlawful or dishonest means. Of such organizations the ''Tweed Ring" of New York City was one of the most conspicuous examples. It was con- posed of men of the very worst and most un- scrupulous character. Itwas probably never surpassed by any similar combination in the boldness or amount of it's robberies. From the day when the Tweed Ring" ruled in New York, and plundered it's treasury unrestrained, | to present time, rings, Hobbies and the like, have made their appearance throughout the l land in unprecedented numbers. We hear of rings in state, municipal, and national affairs ; rings in trade and commerce rings of officials, or corporations rings of speculaters, and rings in politics. One day we hear of the great frauds of a railroad ring or the rascalites prac- ticed by some trusted officer of a corporation. or of the government and perhaps the next, of 1 the crimes and falsehoods of public men of the highest standing Dishonesty has put stain on politics which can hardly be wiped out by years of reform and purifcation Lobbies per- wade state assemblies, and infuse corruption :; | tuOy diSO DeScISc tHo I<dblondl congress, ana public departments, striving to gain their ends by corruption, if need be. Frauds at elections seem to have become as common events as elections themselves, and are one of the greatest dangers which threaten the peace and stability of our republican forms of government, by un- dermining and corrupting the principles which l are the very foundations on which all free gov ernmental institutions rest. That they do thus tend to produce dangerous and anarchical con- l sequences is sufficiently shown in the elections in the South since the war, and in the recent Presidential election.
 Who can name the period when there were as many frauds and peculatiens in all depart ments of the public service, and in all depart ments of business, as are now continually hap penlng? Who ever knew the time before, when So many banks, insurance companies, etc. institutions which had stood firm amid panics and embarrassments, and which were looked nponsby the people as the very synonym of stability suddenly brought to ruin and insolvency, simply by yascass scitain Ger