The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-09-19
The Race For Being Gulled.

There are few things more discour-
aging TO the friend of humanity and Its
progress than the apparent fondness of
large section OF the human family
for being "gulled." There Is hardly
anybody, with wit enough to 90 in
when 1t rains. but knows that nothing
Is gotten In this commercial world
without paying for 1t. Yet the prom
Use to give something for nothing Is an
irresistible and never failing attraction.
No matter In what form tho offer is
made, thousands come blindly up at
the beck Of the promiser; and even
when they have been swindled over.
and over again, are quite as ready to
give an allegiance 10 the last new hum
bug as they were TO the first IL the
victims came only from among the ig-
norant there would be nothing surpris-
ing about the matter; but they do not.
The wheel Of fortune at the agricultur-
oil show takes in, perhaps, nobody but
the weak and simple minded. But the
policy shops. the patent right swindles.
and the ''hippodrome" horse races and
wrestling matches. reach classes that
are certainly well taught and are ordi-
narily looked upon as sharp and
shrewd. And the biggest charlatan Of
oil, the quack, does his most thriving
trade with people Of intelligence.
Lot n lon haired individual with q
broad-brimmed hat, an Indian name,
q brass band and u peddler's wagon
set himself up at the street corner and
proclaim himself wonderful physi-
clan. with panacea for all the ills
that flesh Is heir TO. and he will attract
hundreds Of intelligent persons, who
will pay their money to a man they
never saw before for compound con-
corning which they know nothing be-
yond his boastful assertions. The
same persons who put no trust In the
advice Of physician whom they have
known for years. and whose interest it
Is TO advise them fairly and for the
best, will swallow with avidity the adj
vice aud the nostrum Of any loud
voiced quack who forces himself upon
their attention. In some cases, no
doubt, 1t Is because the guack promis-
es. having no responsibility. what the
educated physician with reputation
ut stake does not promise. But in the
vast majority Of cases it seems as II the
impelling motive-the ruling passion
upon which the quack plays SO success
fully-is the desire TO be gulled.
How far society can or ought to 90
In protecting its members from the
evil consequences of this craze is an
open question. So long as people in
sist upon being swindled and resent
any invasion Of their inherent right to
be swindled. the swindler will undoubt-
eddy DO on hand to crafty them; and.
as they are free agents, the law Is
probably powerless to protect them
against their will. But IL does seem as
though there should be better protec-
ton than there Is for the weaker men,
bers of society. When an Infamous
charlatan plies his wretched trade and
icopardizes tho health and life Of his
victims there ought to be some means
OF reaching him promptly and cffectu-
ally. not merely with tine or imprison-
ment after The offcnse has been COM
mittcd. but with sure prevention Of the
offensc.
The liberty Of the individual is q
sacred thing even when IL Is the liber-
~ TO be swind!cd. But in securing the
welfare OF Inc whole even that may be
curtailed with propriety.