The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-08-29
An Infamous Business.
from the Pacific Rural Press. ]

an lmplOus traffic which is robbin
. the State of it's manhood; turnin,
the feet of our sons away from tn
paths of industry, and transformin,
our sober and Industrious fathers int,
condemned criminals. It certainly
would seem that enough of disgrace
and destruction has already beel
visited upon our homes to warn al
those who have anything of self
esteem and family love remaining, te
shun an indulgence which saps theil
strength, distracts their minds, casts
to the winds the fruits of life-t time.
labors, and leads them to deeds
which bend their heads with shame
and plunge their families into the
depths of despair. But the end is
not yet. Infatuation still leads men
to pursue gain, even where loss and
ruin are surest to be found, and the
community, while it pours out its
| sympathy for the fallen, still accords
respectability to traffic which
should be held in the deepest detesta
tion for the evil which it brings upon
society.
Instances recur which are SO like
hundreds which have gone before
that the details need hardly to be
recited. A man, with beautiful
home, a devoted wife and group of
lovely children; man, who, by
nearly 20 years of constant devotion
to the interests of his employers, had
won their fullest confidence, and who
stood before the community as a
model of unyielding industry, sud-
denly appears a confessed criminal,
and IN a day is transformed from an
apparent promoter Of public virtue
to an enemy of society, who has his
liberty only at the price of pledges
from his friends. Does anyone need
TO be told the cause of the transfer.
nation? Is it necessary to tell again
how the glittering snares Of the stock
gambler entrapped the feet which
trod so firmly the path Of virtue and
industry; how the mind was turned
from its sober thoughts and honor
able ambitions by the visions of
short tcuts to fortunes; how the blind
ing promises were false as perdition,
and yet so aIluring that he who pur-
sued them was led in the deeper, un-
til the funds of employers, confident
ly entrusted to his care, were secretly
appropriated to feed the unholy fire
of the gambling passion; how the
theft was ere long discovered, and
how the bars closed in the wreck of
reputation and of honor, while tears
flow in the home, and heartfelt SYM
pathy and regret fill a neighborhood.
But what use is it to recite such
painful incidents when the evil seems
to grow the while No sooner does
some wretched conspiracy of impious
men fall into the hands of the police
than another, even more glaring,
springs into view. And the people
poor, senseless throng-crowd the
counters Of the swindling cormor-
ants, giving their hard-earned saw
ings in return for naught but worth
less promises. For a few days the
gold pours in, and then the throng
comes some morning to find the
doors closed and their treasures gone
beyond recovery. One would think
that these specious frauds would be
recognized by the shallowest brain,
and yet experience proves that vic
Tins are always ready to jostle one
another in the rush to ruin. It is
plain that there should be some
power to guard the people against
these coarser forms of fraud, for
these are the traps that catch the
Door and the unwary. There is one
hing that the public should demand
rom the press. and that is, that the
nsidious snares should not be spared
n the public prints. What use is it
hat the editorial columns of our
lailles warn people against them SO
ong as their glittering advertise
nents are received by the publishers?
What use to preach virtue when the
lands are filed with the rewards
rom vice ? The press is a sharer in
he fortunes made by running homes
md wrecking lives, and so long as /
his is true, the friends of humanity
will have cause to mourn.
The public has its eye open to the .
vii, and yet it lives. In the city, /
ONE business houses which employ /
many men have their spies abroad
nd as soon as any man in their en-
10y takes hand in stocks, he is !
watched and his accounts scrutin- !
zed daily. What better evidence {
ould be had of the way in which c
be business is regarded by our lead 9
ng men? And yet the evil grows. !
lot satisfied with the gambling in !
ailway and other securities at the t
last, they have introduced the Cali g
ornia system, and already victims
re falling just as men fall when = =
lague settles down upon city. q
My last week it was bank officer a
'ho went down to perdition in Now
ork, by breach of trust, through
ambling in stocks. Thus, East and g 6
Test, the evil spreads, and distrust :
ses as virtue sinks. What can save h
,e people? Nothing, unless each q
1e works to save himself, and to d
,read truer idea of the danger
ct it be understood that whoever
tiers the business in any form = :
aces his foot upon dangerous ID