Clarksville evening chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn) 1886-1890, 1888-11-07
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200 Howard Thinks They Are Nuisance
N1f.Iioz, NJ EInala.fr, ~

Policy Of HOdesty.
Are we a nation Of liars, thieves,
cheats7 II not, what is the meaning OF
the universal suspicion which poisons
every brothers. cup? Why these checks
in street cars, these mechanical contriv-
ances in barrooms, these private detect
i've agencies? You remember what a
hubbub was created years ago when con-
ductors were compelled to wear massive
medallions, with intricate mechanism,
supposed to show correctly the number Of
fares taken. They looked like so many
japanese gods with bunglings onerous,
burdcnsoine ornaments about thcm The
directors suspected that the conductors
were stealing, and every time the con-
ductor pulled the spring that rang the
bell he challenged public scrutiny, and
the suggestion came to every mind, ''the
company suspects this man to b.a thief"
and SO they did suspect every man to be
thief, and they doubted the accuracy
Of their mechanism as well, because co
verify and secretly they sent spoilers,
old men, young ladies, tender children,
workingnen in every possible disguise,
to keep tally Of the number of people
who rode upon tho cars and paid faro
for the privilege. AS it was in Boston
so it was in New York and in all the
great centers. The system Of chcckage
in use upon our railways today is not
only expensive to the companies and an
intolerable nuisance to the travelling
public, but direct impugning of the in
tegrity of every man in the employ.
| buy q ticket from here to Boston,
and pay in advance. pay s. for my
ticket, and $3.50, or whatever, for seat
in a drawing room car. II should be
quite sufficient for me to give up my
ticket to gaternan as enter the depot,
and my other ticket to the porter in
charge of the drawing room car, as i
enter the car. Instead Of which, am
stopped at the gate as l enter the
depot, in order that gatcman may
punch the ticket. take my scat in the
car. In comes q train conductor, who
takes my ticket and punches it in three
or four different places. / settle down
to read my paper or my book, and along
comes the drawing room conductor, who
takes my ticket and gives me another in
its place, on which he punches the year,
tho month, the day of the month, the
number Of the train, the number Of the
car, the number Of the seat, my destina-
ton and tho amount paid, all of which
takes my time and gives him unnecessary
labor. We pass beyond New Haven, and
another conductor comes, and he has to
punch my ticket, and another conductor
comes at Worcester, and he has to punch
the ticket. Then they come along again
and take up the tickets.
Come with me into any Of our bar
rooms, our restaurants, our cafes. Time
was when man could go with his friend
into q cafe, order his lemonade or what
over he wanted, generally tho latter,
throw his money on tho counter ard
walk out. Now he has to perform the
service of q waiter. Having taken his
refreshmcnt he waits while the attendant
turns 10 n machine at the back Of the in
closure, from which he draws a card, on
which is stamped the amount to be paid,
which amount is shown in glaring letters
upon tho machine us the impression is
made. This tho customer is compelled
to carry sometimes Il distance of hun
dred feet. At all events nc must carry
it wherever tho cashier chances to be
seated. He hands the check and the
money to the cashier, wipes his mouth
and walks away. In other words, the
barSeeper is distinctly informed by this
procedure that his employer has no faith
in him, and both he and the cashier is
informed by this mechanism, which reg
IL lNn hct hri ,,,ln
trusts neither Of them.
And, after all, do checks check2
Thieving conductors We're supplied By
ingenious mechanics with little arrange
ments by which, while pretending to
register they in reality pocketed tho fare
without registering. Barkcopcrs, by col
fusion with cashiers, can, if they wish,
defraud their employers. This very week
ono of our railroad auditors tumbied over
plan by which fares collected on steam
railways were retained by conductors,
they having duplicate slips furnished
them by the accountant in tho Office.
Human ingenuity is certain to be met by
human ingenuity. In the long nun, TAX
ing ago after age, accumulated facts
have crystalli2ed themselves into pro-
verb, Honesty is the best policy" and
dishonest men know just as well as the
good and true that the path to success
lies in that direction, and that leaving
all question of morals out of considera-
ton, the best policy" tho trucst way
in which to serve ones selfish purpose,
is to be honest.
There must be responsibility some
q 4. I
all this intricate system of checkagG
doesn't amount to shucks. If man is
dishonest and has not brains enough to
know that, in spite Of his dishonest ten
dcncy. success can be obtained by honest
methods alone, no power this side Of
heaven can keep him from cheating, and
cheating for while without Detection
Joe Howard in Boston Globe.
A Very Curious Case.