Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-10-01
Is CIVILIZATION A rAILUREI
Others See It as we Have Seen aud
Spoke OF II.

The Washington Republic, Republican,
publishes the following as the leading
editorial in its issue of the 2Gth inst; ;
Is not our boasted civilization fall
ure? Are we not fast becoming nation
OF thieves Is honesty to become lost
virtue in this country? The recent de-
falcations of trusted officers in various
financial institutions of the country
make the above questions timely. We
send missionaries and millions of dollars
every year to foreign countries for the
purpose of converting the heathen to
our Christianity and civilization, while
nearly every day in the year some of the
exalted disciples of that civilization and
Christianity are proven to be common
thieves-that is not what people call
them, but that is what they are. The
man that appropriates one dollar or
million dollars of other peoples money
to his own use is common theft, and
no other word should ever be used to
describe him. Would not our money
be spent to better purpose in endeav-
W oShsc VI
honor in our own business meu, than
in sending missionaries to foreign lands
to convert the heather to system of
civilization that high-minded men and
women are becoming more and more
ashamed of every day? We can never
expect things to be any better until
man who robs his fellow men is proper
ly punished for his crimes, and becomes
often do we find ministers of the gospel
interceding with the pardoning powers
of the country in behalf of some man
who has been proven in court of law
to be thief, and what do they offer in
extenuation of the crime The prison
er's previous good character, his family,
and like arguments. These very things
should really make his sentence the
heavier. But do they? oh, no, they
very often result in his getting pardon
and going out to prey upon their credu-
lous fellow men again. We have just
such case in this town. A trusted
bank official stole a large sum of money,
was caught, tried, convicted and senten-
ced to prison for his theft, Then his FAM
lily and friends, assisted by more than
one minister of the gospel, began the
work of getting up sympathy for him.
They succeeded SO well that he was not
only pardoned by the President, but
was procured position with a New
York corporation at an annual salary
of $1,000. What a commentary on our
Christianity and civilization What
an example to place before men who
handle other peoples money! The po-
sition that this thief had given him
We send m en- to prison for stealing
few cents, in many cases TO supply
themselves or their families with the
bare necessities of life, while we pardon
to purchase luxuries and style for them
selves and families. This is all wrong
and as long as it is kept up we cannot
expect stealing to stop among those
VINO ilauuIc otiler peopIeS money. II
either class of thieves should be pilied
and pardoned it should be the small
ones, many of whose surroundings have
beeen such that they scarcely know
right from wrong and not the large ones
nearly all of whom have moved in what
the world calls the upper anI more cul-
tivated classes of society, and some of
them, notably, the one mentioned above
have been teachers of morality and
Christianity. There is pressing need
of reform in these matters. No system
of civilization that has not for its corner
stone honesty, can ever become perma-
nent. Let the press and the pulpit take
hold of this matter and do their whole
duty in teaching our people honesty.