The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1882-1884, 1883-07-05

II seems mufmuf sweeping low,
And hurrying through the distant caves
hear again that smothered tone
AS if the sea were not alone.'"
THE PUNISHMENT OF SPECTATORS
McGeoch, now called the Lard
King has been committing all
forms Of speculative wickednesss
about lard. He has been selling
lard for future delivery which he
neither owned nor. ever expected to
own, and has been aided in doing so
by his past success in similar oper-
ations concerning pork. He has
forced the price Of lard up beyond
precedent, and bevound human en-
durance, causing fever of specula-
tive activity in produce through the
West, and drawing Off money from
the more legitimate business of bull
ing railroad stocks in Wall street.
In fact. better example Of the alb
solutely wicked speculator, we, proba-
bly,, shall not see for a long time.
And yet, it would have been almost
if not absolutely, impossible for the
law to get at him. Supposing he
had been indicted for dealing in
futures against the statute, it woulo
have taken several months to procure
nee cessary evidence. The other deal
ers in futures would rot have testified
against him. if they could haye
helped it, because those who dealt
with him expected. if let alone, to
make money out of him, and it
would probably have been next to
impossible to prove his transactions
out of his books. The trial, if 1t ever
came on, would have lasted from
three to six months, ard would prob.
ably have taken place before jury.
composed, in part. Of persons unable
to write or unacquainted with any
arithmetic beyond addition, in part
of drunkards, and in part of keepers
of ''bucket shops and after six
weeks speaking from the lawyers on
ootn sides would have ended in a
disagreement, and the triumph of
the Lard King, which would have
been celebra,ed by the spectators
in oceans of sweet champagne.
Now, see what has happened to
the bad men by the simple process
Of letting them run their ring. See
how dealers in futures, and all other
wicked spectators, are caught in
their own snare, or hoisted with their
own petard. Peter McGeoch. the
chief spcculator, has been fined ST.
O5O 900, aud the fine has been paid
and it has ruined him for the mo-
ment, FOR this is what is meant by
the news that this amount of his
money has been ''sunk in the deal
Daniel Wells, Jr., the Lard VicerOy
or Vizier, has been, iE like manner
fined S75O.OOO. Besides this, these
two leading offenders have ''faileo
for $1,6OO,OOO between them, or
in other words, have been the means
without any expense to the State, o
inficting fines to that amount OF
their confederates. j. NJ. Ball ha:
also been fined 100000; Ellis &
Lightner, 100000; Holley & Allen
$50 600; Tabor & Wilson, $4,000
NJ. B. Crafts & Co., 100000, an(
smaller men about $4,000 more
All the lawyers and courts in the
United States could not, in tel
wears, have recovered half thi:
amount from the offenders, or if they
had recovered it, would have absorb
it in fees and costs. Now the pen
altv has been inflicted without law
vers, without a trial, without dis
credit to public justice, by the offen-
ders themselves. Peter McGeoch
too, probably feels differently about
the Lard Crown from what he cvel
did before, and is, per haps, little
sick of cultures" and puts and calls
Moreover, the dangers of the specu-
lator's career haze teen brought be-
fore the youth Of the country with 6
clearness and compile cteness which ne
trial could have accomplished. Tht