Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-02-04
cRrmE-THE Cause.-The REMEDY.

The year 1888 opens inauspieiously. The
heart of the patriot and tho philsnthropist
is sickened in contemplating the horrible
events of the first month OF the new year.
The destruction of human life by land and
by sea have been appalling. The elements
seem 10 have combined to destroy life. Anepi-
demic of FIRE has swept over the country, ard
mary persons have been subjected to the
most horrible of all deaths. Railroad acct
dents have been frequent, and the wild ocean
has been busy in the work OF destruction.
The came cause which has produced such
dire woes seems to have made the human
family still more vile, tor the new year has
furnished more than the usual number
of crimes. "Murderl" "Murderp has be-
come a familiar cry, and tn # and rob-
berry follow each other in rapid succession.
Folks stupenduous villainy was a national
sensation. The enormity of his theft, and
the high social position occupied by the
thief. invested the crime with more than Of
dinary interest. Honest men called it by its
proper name, while a few laughed at it as
the exploits of romantic and irresponsible
mind. Before the public had time to recover
from the shock Of Folks romance the defal-
cation of Vincent was announced. The Ala
bama rascal is not cripple. He lie not the
petted and spoiled nephew of president OF
the United States. He stole only 1924 900
instead OF S4OO, 900, and on that account his
crime will be stigmatized as theft
instead OF a romance. These defal-
cations, these romances, are becoming
10 frequent that the country is inquiring
into the cause and the remedy. The cause
can be traced to the mania TO become sud-
denly rich by gambling. The accumulation
of wealth is no crime, but the colossal for
tunes so easily made by gambling has de-
bauched the public mind. Wall street is the
dollhouse for warming criminals into lie.
II is more dangerous to the country than
war. famine and pestilence. The theft OF
Polk. of Vincent, and every big robbery
for wears can be traced to this nursery Tor
growing villains. The published exploits
of ireebooters like Frank and Jesse James
have made many highwaymen; but the
reports of vast fortunes made by gambling
In stocks have made still more prolific
crop of defaulters, the word now substituted
for thieves. The life OF the brigand is excluded
from the susceptible mind OF the youth,
but daily contaminated by The still more
damaging literature furnished by the Wall
street gamblers is more injurious. In the
United States everybody reads. The news
papers penetrate every nsok and corner
of the Union, and the reports OF vast for
tunes suddenly made by the gambling |
specuIators have inspired in the minds OF
young men a disgust for the country, |
where competency is acquired only by |
allow process and patient industry. The re-
suit is, young men are running away from |
The rural districts and seeking precari-
GUS livelihood in the great cities. They |
repudiate the old theory, that the surest |
source to wealth is in the soil, and
rush to the cities and undertake to initiate
the example of Vanderbilt and Gould, ex-
Meeting TO become suddenly rich like them
BY gambling speculations. The fate Of Polk
ana Vincent is generally the result. The
census reports show that the cities are in
creasing more rapidly incorporation than the
country. The morbid desire to become sud-
denly rich, inspired by reading accounts OF
he yast wealth accumulated without labor
causes ambitious young men to flock to the
,ities. This isolates the country, and from
his isolation others fee. AS matter OF
course there is inc % sed demand for more
houses in the Gties and less in
he country. All tlis begets con-
ienpt for honest labor, and multiplies the
,rny Of those who propose to WriDg living
ron the world ~ gambling Ores. ta.. :