The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-11-18
RICH MEMS SONS.

The telegraph some lew days ago an
nounced that rich mans son in one OF
the Western States had been arrested for
forgery, and that his father had declined
to interfere, saying tnat he was tired OF
that sort of thing, Of course thereby i'm
plying that he had done 30 often before,
and that it had become 80 monotonous
and 80 dissagreeable that he had decided
to call halt. "Oh, what shame, what
hard hearted man he must have been "
may some very weak and injudicious
mamas txCaim. The idea of letting
'poor Tom" or poor Dick" who has
always been 80 particular about his
clothes aud so dai rty in his eating, go to
Jail to herd with low people, wear parti'
colored coats and fare on prodigaPo ra'
tions, seems perfectly awful, 80 that be
fore it could be entertained for moment
many mother would sell her marriage
ring, an1 many sister would part with
her last piece of jewelry 80 as to give the
poor fellow another chance, though every
chance he has had only made him a
more thoroughly heartiess blaCkguard,
more inclined to sponge on his father,
and when occasion offers, to rob him
reader tn N ever, and to make fun OF his
mothers tears as well as to play upon
her weak affection and unreasoning
hopefulness. Instead of that father be-
ing the heartless old Curmudgeon some
people would represent him we hold he
just did the right thing when he resolv-
ed TO let the law take it's course. 1t is
all we'll enough when a young fellow is
overcome by te nptation, and it may be
he has been victimized by harder and
cleverer blackguard than bimself, to
make acrifces even second, if not
third time. But af er that the weak way
is only making bad worse. Ifthe scape
grace is not brought to his senses and to
shame by such forbearance and sacr fae
tried twice and thrice he won't be by it's
Deing done dozen times.
On the contrary he will be confirmed
in iniqlity and baseness, because he will
have learned that the "(iovernor" will
make a. rig {, and hat even if the 20 d
fellow" thought of Tebellng, mamma"
wouldn't let him. Many father has
grievously wrOnged ms other children
and eventually ruiued and dishonored
himself by throwing u this way money
into the sea. Shame, no doubt, and ear
of family dishOnor have had much to do
with such persistent folly as we'll of
course, lingering natural affection. But
ones judgment ough TO tell him that by
by acting as he Is doing he is mercy
pu ting ,pff the evi day, and makiug 1t
more del plorable aud destructive when II
come. Be er face the inevitable at
once ani be done with it. The wretch
ed young fellow might have a chance of
reform If he were arrayed in motley. H.
has none 30 long as his mother is CCdd
ling and eXrusiug him, and his father ia
suffering for his sake all imaginable
uuOII ujdJlOl' duu ICoOI tllR W bullto anu
sacrifices to save one who refuses to be
saved, and to hide what, in the long run
cannot be hidden
The history of perhaps maj jrity of
the sons of riCh men on this Continent
is as melancholy a one as can well be
conceived. We don't need TO go to New
York or Chicago, or any far away place
of gigantic size. Let any one try to go
over the record for the past thirty years
in this London of ours, or in Hamilton,
or Toronto, or Montreal and what hide
GUS revelations he would have to make
of iniudicious indulgence, worried anx-
iety, perverse and hardened inquity,
with eventually the father covered with
shame if ot absolute ruin, aud the
mothers grey hairs brought with sorrow
to the grave! No wonder that prosper
GUS men sometimes say that they trem-
BILE wnen they look at the career of rich
mems sons. Yes, and the rich men of
to day are not likely in many cases o
have to tell story different from thuse
who, with terrible skeletons 10 the clos
et, spent their lives in the past in spen-
did wretChedness and were glad when
they found the grave, Better let them
try for change the plan of that "old
man" in the West by allowing their
spirited young fellows" to reap the
whirlwlnd if they will persist in sowing
the wiud 1t would be best and mo
merCiful all round,