The Dawson journal., 1883-02-08
THEFT AND THIEVES.

an attempt to make good his es-
cape by an effort to get into Mexi-
CO, but fortunately for the country
Polk was captured and carried
back to Nashville, where he now
lies in Jail awaiting trial.
This week, however, and much
to the chagrin of all patriotic men,
we have to record similar occur
renee as having taken place in our
neighboring state, Alabama.
Vincent, the state treasurer, has
done precisely the same thing that
Polk, of Tennessee, did. After
relieving the vaults of the state of
more than 100000, he flies for
safety to parts unknown. It APP
pears that Vincient became in
volved in speculations-dealing in
cotton futures and in order, as
he hoped, to amass a great fortune
III a little while, he used the
states money with a lavish hand,
and now when the legislature is in
session and the time Of reckoning
his accounts has come, he fees
from justice, leaving the state
treasury and his bondsmen minus
the sum Of $4,000. The legisla-
ture has authorized the governor
to offer reward OF So 900 for the
defaulting treasurer, and no doubt
this sum will be sufficient to pre-
vent his entire escape from the
country.
1t is needless for us to moral
ize upon this situation of things,
for there has never been a time
when men would not steal. Some
account for it as result of the
late war; that society has become
SO demoralized and revolutionized
that it is hard to find an honest
man. All this sort Of stuff we
don't believe, but, upon the con-
trary, the man who will steal now
would have stolen before the war
had the same necessities and
temptations existed. There are
Just as many honest men in the
world to-day as ever lived in it at
any former period; and the fact
that we probably have more thefts
now than formerly is no evidence
at all that there are more rascals
In the world. There have always
been more rogues in the country,
however, than we have been accus-
toned to account for, but the
temptation and opportunities at
the present time for the display of
rascality seem to be more propi-
tlous than formerly, and for this
reason we are called upon to OBJ
serve a greater number OF thefts.
1t has been said that every man
has his price, but this we Go not
believe. There are thousands and
tens of thousands of men in the
world who could not be induced
to do wilful wrong act for all
the gold in the world, and, we
doubt not, that large majority Of
this class can be found in the
humber walks of life. We are of
the number who believe that a
thief is born a thief and while it
does not always follow that he
steals, he is the no less a thief if
this element exists in his nature.
In many cases, circumstances
for the development of this ele-
ment have not been favorable, and,
therefore, many men have lived
and died who never stole that
might have done so had the op-
portunities for such display of
character existed. 1t is quite
likely that both Polk and Vincent
would have lived and died with
their characters for probity and
honesty unstained had they not
become the treasurers of the res
pective states of Tennessee and
Alabama, but being placed in these
positions, the circ umstances for
the development of their true
characters became favorable and
thus they were led to steal, and
to-day they stand before the world
IN their true characters, thieves.
WE would call the attention OF
the Genirio D.oc., H. II