The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-06-25
H~IGH-ToNED
STAINBACK, Alamance Co., n. c.,

NAS ASA OOO
Mr. ED1roR:-If you have the
space to spare in your valuable
columns, L send you a few comments
according to my views on polite
pilfering. The great American rob-
berries r called monopolies which
means that one or more rich men by
buying up all competition or crushing
them out of existence, get the con-
troll Of some commodity, and then
compel all the nation to stand and
deliver whatever price they may de-
mand in the way of plumber. 1t is
highway robbery of the whole nation
at cnce. Our commercial life is an
~oligarchy; a dozen Or two of men
dictate what we shall pay for every
thing we buy. The greatest political
contest of the future is to be between
the robber- barons of monopoly and
the people, as to which shall rule.
The only fear is that the trodden
worm will turn to a snake. Small
vices appear in dirty and tattered
clothes, while sin, plated with gold,
appears in furred gowns and robes.
Petty stealing gets a hard compliment
from all people, but heightened rob
berry is praised because of politeness;
so the lion, while feasting on a deer,
upbraids the cat for eating mice. We
call these wholesale robbers smart,
most men would rather be a small
knave than a fool, but the knave is a
fool, the folly of fools is deceit. Steal
ing by false weights and measures is
far common than is generally
supposed. The report for 1882, of
the sealer of weights and measures
for Boston showed that in one year
$3.50 were found incorrect which
makes me believe the remark, "Give
a Boston merchant the right to sell
out the Atlantic Ocean by the quart
and he will cheat in the measure
ment." Thus we can no longer de-
pend on the measuring cup or the
scales for justice, while the clerk
weighs our corn and his own sugar,
but we must not matter so long as
they think it is done politely. The
evil weeds should be rooted out of the
rich mans garden as we'll as the poor
mans potato patch. Another fine art
of stealing is by adulteration. 1t in
cludes the obtaining of money by sell
ing goods for what they are not in
kind, quality or quantity. W. are
Mortified when we hear of some fend
trying to poison a whole family at
one in their food.
What shall we say Of men who de-
~liberately sit down with their chemis-
tries and pick out cheap poisons which
they can administer to a whole nation
in it's food. They care not if they
slaughter the innocent so their own
pockets are filled; it is the worst Of
stealing, but it is done politely.
Another very popular method Of
stealing is by borrowing without the
probability or possibility of paying.
There is a class of men in every com
munity who live by mourning small
bills which they never expect to pay.
Every business which gives credit
charges the paying customer extra to
cover these losses, so the honest con
sumner is robbed by the petty thief.
The vulgar pickpocket is sent to jail,
but the polite give their note and
gracefully fail. But the greatest art
of refined stealing is to incur debts IN
a large scale and take advantage of
the new way to pay old debts, bank
ruptcy. A convict says he was sent
to the State prison for a petty crime
and was compelled every day to cut
pieces of paste board which are put
between the soles of shoes and palmed
off on the innocent public as leather.
If polite thieves were punished by
having their hair smeared with tar and
a pillow full of feathers emptied over
their heads what a herd of savsges
we would have and HON it would put
up the price Of feathers. Some
bankers and t~reasurers and trustees
would not look quite so fine and trim
as they pass to their palaces built of
fraud. While the government keeps
a constant lookout against watered
milk and none against watered rail
way stock, is straining at a gnat and
swallowing a camel. The only differ
ence between the extremes of stealing
is, one is done clumsily while the other
is done politely. close with wishing
much success to The PROGRESSIVE
FARMER and its editor.
Fraternally,
J. f. MURRAY.