The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1878-12-28
SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

The New York journal of Commerce has
very interesting, and, it may be, most
timely article on the signs of the times. 1t
is directed mainly to what it calls The
Silent Progress of Reputation" though the
word, it admits, rarely, if ever, appears in
the proceedings or speeches Of the reckless
men who seem to be seeking to force the
country to that result. The leaders among
the Greenbackers have been most outspoken
in this regard, and only the weakest and
most wicked among these have ventured
very loud, for reputation is an infamous
doctrine, and, like all things which appeal
to the baser instincts of man, takes good
care of itself. Reputation is ever silently
at work in the minds of dishonest and shift
less men, making its easy converts. 1t is
principle of evil which may slowly leaven
whole community without the agency of
conventions or travelling stump speakers or
newspapers. Human selfshness is always
powerfully enlisted on its side. So it hap
pens that in parts of the West and South
public debts which could be paid are quiet
ly neglected. There are no meetings Of
citizens, there is no defenees or explanations
made, the money for paying coupons or
bonds is not collected, or if collected is not
paid-that is all. The proposition to re-
pudiate is rarely submitted in any form to
the popular vote, the end being attained
without that publicity. Few are willing to
frankly own themselves repudiators. Those
cunning verbal CLOSES by which demagogues
have sought to cheat the national creditors,
without, for the present, demanding the re-
pudiation of the whole national debt, have
had the indirect effect of keeping alive State
and county repudiation. Bad men have
set their wits TO work to find loopholes out
of which they could plausibly escape the
payment of local Indebtedness, amounting
for the entire country to hundreds of millions.
sucn pretexts, being hunted for, are easily
found.
Notwithstanding this feeling among indi-
vduals who hide themselves behind pre-
texts, the courts are right,and generally rem
der righteous decisions There is not debt
in the world out of which spirited
man cannot somehow crawl, and boast that
he has saved his honor" too. AT the West,
among thriving counties and towns, this
habit is becoming more general. As the
gleenback " tidal wave" rolls westward To-
calities which had heretofore paid the inter-
est on their debts are striving to shirk it.
The first and only notice of this received by
the Eastern creditors is the answer " no
funds" when their coupons are presented for
payment, or after decisions of the courts are
obtained, then is there halt, with payment
! seemingly as distant as ever. After this
quiet fashion the sections of the country
where reputation sentiment exists reduce
their theories to practice. They do not nec-
essarily call the bondholder "grasping" or
: bloated" or "lecherous," but they cheat
him all the same. The Western countries
and towns which tolerate this disgraceful
business are reckoning without their hosts
Their local courts may wink at reputation,
: State Legislatures may permit il, but there il
one barrier in the way of this dishonesty the
Federal Bench. In two cases recently decided
the United States have thrown the weight
1 of their authority on the side of the swim.
died bondholder. Franklin and Marion
counties were the defendants, and agains
! both writs of mandamus have been issued
I to compel the payment ofdefaulted interest
While the courts are right however, the
0 remedy for fraud is ever present, and thost
: with knavish intent can be conquered anC
punished in the end.