The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1878-12-19
RESPECTABLE RascalitY.

/ We have need to be alarmed at the ex-
tent OF defalcations by trusted agents and
employers in this country, says an ex-
change. So far as we can safely estimate
The ''irregularities" and thefts of custodi-
ans of private monies in our principal
cities have averaged over five hundred
thousand dollars per month for the past
twenty months. These are startling fig
! ures. They have no part In the sum to-
| tai of the Legitimate failures which were
The inevitable results of misfortune in bus
! mess, but constitute solely the plunder
and spoils of rascality. They cover a
multitude of sins. They tell of men whose
weakness and easy credulity was such
that they were drawn into the mae!strom
OF speculation by the tempting sophistry
ut cunning financial charlatans who prate
OF millions to be made in day in invest
s-onts which are as v2i2 and bottomless
. their own PROHIBITIONS and once into
this whirlpool they sank deeper and deep
er until they were lost. They tell of 9TH
ers who, partaking of the reckless extrav-
agance and passion for high life of this
immoral and Incorporate age first began
TO pilter small amounts to keep up ap-
pearances," and finally as the discovery
OF their dishonesty became unavoidable
and ruin stared them in the face, they for
got that they were men, and appropriated
20 their base uses all the means entrusted
to their keeping. Greed. bad ambitions
and various other causes have led these
detaulters to their crimes. Now the ques-
tion is most important, Is this spirit of in
hdellty to trust, of dishonesty and crime
in financial and business circles, which is
so rapidly growing upon us, to be abated
or will it run mad-rampant and unre-
strained until it carries the country to dis
graceful ruin2 The criminals of whom
we speak are, for the most part, men
whose past careers have displayed excep-
uonal integrity but who as we have de-
scribed, have been subjected to evil intiu-
ences which led them astray. Few of
them, II any, are professional rascals, but,
is their iniquity pardonable because they
belong to the better order of humanity2
Are they more entitled to public sympa-
thy than the hardened wretches who make
a business of gulling people2 We believe
that they deserve even less consideration
than this latter class for the reason that
they are intelligent They understand
lICil ouly lllclT lellOW UleQ. De-
sides the influence of petty vagabond
thief in a community is really good in
one sense. 1t teaches us to abhor crime.
But when those who talk most of morali-
ty, occupy conspicuous pews in our
churches, are leading lights in our society,
cheat, steal and plunder, they open the
gates to no end of respectable rascality.
There is no palliation for their offences.
They are amenable to full punishment
under the law, and they should be made
examples of if we would stop this ruinous
pillage. Hard as it may be for their af-
flicted families they must be character
lied as, what they Enthusiastically are,
thieves and scoundrels. We have no pa
tience with press and pulpit which seek
tC cover these men-who have wrought
.tl, r,,in of MANY nthnr.e rufr0 nh IN
them-because of their erstwhile respect
ability; who attempt to make excuses for
their misdemeanors, and In many cases to
justify them. We would have no fellow
ship with any man who looks lightly upon
crime and thus encourage it. The public
morals must be protected, and he who
corrupts them by poisoning the minds OF
his followers is an evil spirit who should
be cast out. The law must deal rigidly
with dishonesty no matter in what walk it
oe committed.