The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1882-10-05
A 0ooD.NATuRED MAN.

VIC thNOAOht b~VN-h" 80 s1N
bane of our political and commercial
life. Men are selected for places o
trust because they are good fellows.
Now, as a general rule, the good fell
low is the worst fellow in the worl,
to put in place of trust. Th
good fellow means we'll, but nothing
is so important as the good fellow
Intentions. Before the war, it USE
to be said that northern politician
wanted back bone. But, indeed th,
training of the office seeker, lik'
that of the acrobat, is directed t
the producing of suppleness anc
elasticity in the spine. The COCO
fellow is chosen on account of tiexi-
biliIity. He cannot we'll say no.
He is honest enough in lazy way
the good fellow docs not steak
But he cannot say no when the
rogue approaches him, and so,
though he does not grow rich at
public expense, the money leaks
away all the same. lmpotent good
nature is not so vilIainous as direct
theft, bat the effect on the treasure
chest is much the same. Good,na>
ture shuts its eyes and folds it's
hands while theft takes the safe-key
from his pocket. Your good fellow
can never quito believe that
a rogue will steal.
1t is not so wonderful, after all,
that popular election put this sort of
good>natured men into responsible
places. The marvel is that men of
business training do the same thing
10 commercial affairs. They gen>
orally select the fellow for a bank
cashier, for example He is good
man to meet the public, he will
bring business to the bank. But
they do not reflect on the amount
of distress it will give their good
natured cashier to say so,when some
lettering business house or some
specializing adventure seeks an 'ac
comoda,ion.' To accommodate is
what the good natured man likes to
dot is cruel to ask him to re-
fuse the people who beat like waves
against the walls of moneyed insti~
tutions. Sooner or later the oblig~
ing cashier grows tired of the ever-
lasting no, and the unstable borrow
ers effect an entrance as the re-
porters say of. burglars. When the
bank fails, every body is astonished
tho cashier was always the best
fellow in the world. They do not
reflect that his good fellowship was
actually his disqualification.
Directors in financial corporations
such as banks, savings banks, life
insurance companies, seem to be
generally remarkable for sunny good
nature. They are selected to watch
the active officers, and their suppos-
ed watchfulness lends credit to the
corporation. But millions Of doll
lars are stolen every year, without
the knowledge of these prominent
directors, who probably think it
their main duty as gentlemen not to
give offense to the executive officers
of their institutions by overmuch
watchfuInes. 1t is notorious that
the bank and insurance examiners
of the State often find loans of the
most improper kind on the books
Of life insurance companies and saw
ings banks. The directors would
not stoop to examine too closely
into the administration of the sup
port of whose credit they have free
ly lent their names. They are good
naturcd accessories to crimes which
leave many a family penniIess.
When a great journalist, now
dead, was asked the secret of sue
cess in his profession, he said In
dustry and ugliness' There are
other professions besides that of the
journalist in which ugliness is val
liable quality. Puplic teachers gen-
orally need fair allowance of it
We once heard an old Kentuckian
describe a fashionable preacher
He's a beautiful speaker, but
horse thief could sit under his
preaching without being disturbed
Inestimable as is good nature,ii it is
a dangerous quality 10 men who are
the appointed guardians of other
mems morals or money. Unruffled
good temper is not the best recon-
mendation one can give in all cases
- it is net the highest virtue of q
watchdog, for example.-Scr'Dmer''
Monthly.
This is fish story from the Con-
yers Weekly: "We were shown
on last Saturday, by a gentleman