New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-27

of the fundamental assumption. Thus national
dishonesty cannot co-exist with tn strong
confidence between men which is Indispensable
To the progress Of commerce ana hhance' NJ
pcople among whom dishonesty was 80
widely spread "a Mr.. lIumc's argument
implies. could become or remain pros
porous in trade and manufactures. Ihe
prevalence Of rascalty would naIalyze
business of all kinds. Every man would insist
upon material guarantees at each step in every
Transaction. Credit would die, and with II the
means of disrountiug the future and drra-
dcncc would set in which, in ~ few yoars,Wou'u
arrest national progress and civilization.
Bni what are the tncls of the situation Inc
plain truth Is chat integrity Is the cornerstone
Of modern busiuoas. and That upon II has h"rn
erected nn pdiirc the equal of which 10" Woll"
never saw before, Nothing can bo morn ms
lrldnp than ~ lty "a form nn rniimhlr ~ M
iinnn rhninrtor and tendencies FROM the tofotd'
of dishonesty They are the exceptions Nl'th
pfo,r the rule, And II II can bo shown lhh
there are more caarA of dishonesty now IMAM ~
the past, the explanation Is, not that the
American people are growing corrupt hnt
that the mass of transactions IL enormously
grratcr than ever before that confidence II
pnt IN men more than ever that the eolhplrNlS
~ well "A the volume of business is greater;
and that therefore we must expect the Instances
of rascality To be- numerically increased But
the one fact that credit is the active principle
of the greatest business ever transacted ci-
fcctually refutes all attempts to show that ma
tiona probity is declining.
As regards reputation of community debts
there are always two sides to every such case
and frequently candid inquiry would show that
the seeming dishonesty is often ut bottom
popular protest against obligations fastened
illrgiimatcly, or with corrupt intent,
upon political corporations, which involve queS-
tions of public plumber. Bnt even granting tor
the sake of argument that there is equity in half
of thecascs cited by Mr. Hume, his interences are
none the less inadmissible. If conclusive cyl-
dcncc of the healthy state OF the national con-
science is wanted, we can obtain 1t instantly
in the history of the rise and collapse OF all the
many efforts to secure evasion OF the pubic
debt. There has certainly been temptation
enough in that direction, but how has II been
metz Another case in point is the national full
Glmcnt of the implied pledges given to those
who preserved the Union IN the field. No
Nation Of rascals ever would have expended
hundreds of millions in pensions.
But. i'm truth, Mr.. IIumcs argument scarcely
needs serious rcfuation, for the salient facts OF
national existence run counter to If at every
point. II is a prime condition Of national
progress and prosperity that honesty should
prevail in the general conduct of the people,
for dishonesty is discordant destructive, cor
rupting and paralyzing. That we are there
fore not in any sense Nation OF rascals Is "a
concu-iycly proved by our rapid and vigorous
growth as ii is possible to prove anything ANA
il results that the article We have alluded to Is
simply one Of those sensational productions
which can only dscrcdit us with superficial
thinkers and such as are already prcjudic'd
against IL.