The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-01
OIPRIOO'S DOWNFALL.

Nothing could be more natural than
Ferdinand Ciprico's establishment that he
was found guilty OF conspiracy to swiudle
the Government by forging and uttering
certificates to Chinese under the restriction
laws. 1t astounds him to realize that his
shrewdness has not proved sufficient to
keep him out of the penitentiary, and that
now and then the courts do overhaul a
rogue. His case is particularly interesting
in view of the fact that the beginning of
his criminal career was while he was in the
service of the Government as Custom
house employee, and that he abused and
betrayed the confidence reposed in him.
In other words, whatever career he may or
may not have developed had he never been
so trusted, it was in office and under the
temptations which that position brought
to him that he acquired the habits which
have at last produced his miserable down.
fall.
He is supposed to have made large for
tune by his sale of fraudulent Chinese GER
tifcates. This, probably, was of great use
to him in his first trial. Now he is penni-
less and friendless, and lacks the smallest
element of the picturesque in his attitude
OF OTulnary convict.
His career is like that of thousands of
others, and for that reason is valuable to
the student. The whole story is this: A
man of courage, wit and persistency finds
in public office an opportunity to make
money by betraying his trust to rich
private interests which flourish at the ex-
pense of the common good. The financial
benefit which the traitor receives is vastly
smaller than that which the private inter
est is enabled through his rascality to en-
Joy. The difference is the profit which the
private interest secures. This comes from
the people, but it is the smallest damage
that they suffer. There is an immeasur-
ably broader and deeper wrong, which
strikes at the most sacred and vital princi-
pies underlying the social compact.
The traitor feels secure because his dis
grace and punishment would be a serious
blow to the private interest which he has
served, and it is bound to shield him.
Let it be Known that the interest would be
upfaithful to one of its tools in Office and
the getting of more tools and the continu-
ance of its policy would be made difficult.
The way seems easy for the traitor. He
can ignore the jeers of the crowd so long
as his pocket is we'll filled, his backing
strong and bold and the money which he
will take out of Office commands the re-
spect of the only persons for whose friend
ship he cares.
The curse attending ill-gotten gains is
the effect which mans conduct in acquir-
ing 1t has on his character. The evil lies
not in the money ITSELF but in the method
of its acquisition. The pursuit of ways for
getting money dishonesty must be at
the sacrifice of qualities necessary to ulti-
mate success, even in dishonesty. So it is
that the traitor sells vastly more than his
trust, and so it is that he acquires mental
habit which makes upright conduct dis
| tasteful and often impossible.
| Thus crippled, he magnifes his shrewd-
| ness, undertakes the shrewdness of others,
scorns the stupidity OF honesty. exaggerates
| his ability to outwit the law or to battle it's
operation by corTupting its administrators
and in the end walks blindly into pitfall
of his own digging. In all the world there
is no more pitiful sight than the man
| ignorant of the manning which he has in
ficted upon himself by betrsying great
public trust for gain.