Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-01-24
AN UNREASONABLE VIRTUE.
Twin Incidents That Did Not Find Their
Way Into Print.

Not long ago, in a neighboring city,
one of the bellies of society accepted
the matrimonial proposition of 4
worthy young gentleman, and was
asked by him to name the happy day.
She consulted her parents-who had
previously given their consent to the
match-and a family council was held.
The decision reached was curious, as
well as characteristic of our country
and age, The father and mother
agreed that the social position of their
daughter required a grand wedding,
The father, however, announced that
misfortunes in business had brought
him to the verge of bankruptcy that
be was in fact preparing to make an
assignment for the benefit of his cred
itors. To this the mother replied that
the grand wedding being of primary
Importance, it must of course take
precedence of the assignment, for pc
cuniary reasons easily understood.
And it was so ordered. The marriage
occurred amid a blaze of glory, duly
%chr0nicled in the newspapers, and a
few days afterwards Mr.. Smith s paper
went to protest, and his creditors took
possession of his limited assets.
Not long ago, considerably nearer
home, a fond husband informed his
loving wife that his financial affairs
were in hat condition which indicates
a speedy and disastrous collapse. The
wife said little, but thought much.
The result Of her meditation was the
next day she went down town and
bought a seal-skin sacque and a set OF
diamonds. She told a female neigh
Dor, who knew Of the impending ca
lamity, that the sacque and diamonds
would last her a lifetime that if she
did not get them now she never would.
and so she got them The collapse
came in due season, and it is hardly
necessary to remark that the furrier
and jeweler are whistling for theii
money.
These twin incidents are true. They
are only two out of the many, equal,
true, that never find their way into
the uncOngenial and unweleome at
mostphere of print. They illustrate 4
rascally tendency which is doing NOR,
to unsettle the foundations of com.
mercial confidence and destroy com.
mercial honor than any other,we know
Of. They indicate, indeed, that il
some quarters of the very highest re.
spectability' commercial honor i.
already dead and buried. Taken il
connection with the familiar process,
known as breaking with a full peck.
ct" they show that paying ones debt,
and buying nothing you do not expect
to pay for are becoming exceedingly
Questionable. Our fathers-and 1
good many Of their SOM hold the same
views, we are glad to say-considere(
that a man who would not strain ever,
nerve and make every sacrifice to LAY
his honest debts was little better thar
a scoundrel and that the man or wo.
man who bought anything without
expecting to pay for it was no better
than a thief. Yet, matters nowaday.
have come to such a pass that one car
scarcely cross the streets of a great
city without being splashed with muC
from the carriage-wheels of elegant
bankrupts, who ride, while the peopl,
they owe are obliged to walk. Person,
live in fine houses, wear fine clothes
aud give fine entertainments, who Il
out of debt would be as poor as tn,
poorest Of their creditors. Fashion.
ablo society encourages and %patronize,
this fashionable rascality. The on,
sin which fashionable society will
never forgive is poverty-even though
that poverty is the result Of unfinch
ing honesty. A prominent Boston mer
chant-an Ex-Governor of Massachu
setts-has hanging in his counting
room a Photographic portrait unde,
which is written, An Honest Man.
The honest nan thus honored haC
simply Said his debts in full. afte
having been compelled to compfomis
them at a heavy discount. The OK
governor insisted that the hero of sucI
a remarkable deed should have hi
picture taken. So taken it was, an,
there it hangs-a sad commentar
upon the rarity of that old-time vir
tue; HONESTY.