Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1882-02-04
DEFAULTERS.

peared before the United States
Court to-day, pleaded guilty, and
was sentenced to fifteen years In the
State prison."-Ex.
The above paragraph is refreshing.
The people of the United States have
the satisfaction of knowing that, in
this instance, justice has been done.
For a long time, defaulters of all
kinds, whether bankers, merchants
government officials or Others, have
gone free: no matter how large the
amount stolen, it seemed that if a
portion of the money be returned,
the robbed wonld compromise, and
not prosecute, (the same method of
settlement being now practiced In the
case of bond and other r0bberies)
such proceeding naturally tended
to increase the number of thieves.
They knew also that punishment
would be light even if convicted.
Loss of position and social disgrace
for time were nothing to them if
sufficient surplus was retained, soci-
ETY. too often ignoring the heinious-
ness Of the act, if money be plenti-
full. The desire to obtain riches fast,
envy of 9th ,r's greater prosperity,
emulatlng them on too small an in
come, and dissatisfaction with his
station in life, are among the chief
causes of defaultiDg. The action of
the New Jersey Court in convicting
Baldwin, and the moral effect on
would be defaulters, in lettering them
from stealing, will tend to give more
confidence to the people with the
assurance that these shortcomings
will be attended to promptly in the
future, and other States may he spur
red on to do likewise. Compromising
with robbers is a serious evil; do
away with this ald there will be less
robberies. Quick apprehension and
conviction of defaulters will have a
great Statutory effect, and not only
convict, but make them serve out
their term of imprisonment; do not
let a mistaken leniency soften or tone
down the discipline of the prison, or
decrease the number of years oy
pafdoning. We should take the
course of other nations IN their
method of treatment, and there would
not be near so many defaulters nor
broken banks. Critical examinations
are made of the business manage
ment, and if any criminal negligence
! shown on the part of the directors
they also are taken care of; they
cannot ignore their responsibilities as
they do in the United States. In any
country where defalcations go I'M
punished, there the condition of
things is deplorable. Look at Spain
to-day, where stealings, from the
highest to the lowest are not noticed.
Turkey also, and Russia is not much |
better. On the other side, in Eng |
land, France and Germany, the de-
faulter Is not allowed to go free
even now in France an examination
of the books of the Union Generate
is being made, TO discover the cause
of its present shakiness, the position
or condition of those connected with
the management on showing OF
reckless speculation, causing losses
to the depositors. will not prevent
conviction and punishment. Why
cannot we follow this and numerous
other examples that have been made
In these countries2 We have been
altogether too lenient, too many nave
been allowed to escape, until we
were fast approaching the condition
of SPAN and Turky; but We made
good beginning some little time ago
in COMPLETING Pond and others, aud
now continuing with Baldwin. Push
all these stealings to conviction, be
the thief in high or low position,
and we shall soon be able to congrat-
ulate ourselves on the less number
of defaulters, and create greater
feeling of security among the people,
and more particularly those who de-
post their little call" in banks,
pinching themselves now that they
might have something laid up for
day of trouble.
THE Lima correspondent of
Panama paper announces that the