The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-22
The Black Sheep and the White.

If Our judges do not look out we
may find some day that the larger
part of the honest men in the COM
munity are in the penitentiaries.
We all know that the number of
men who ought to be there, in the
general opinion, is very great; and
that there has long been a prevalent
impression that a good many are
there more by misfortune than by
fault, since their fault is by no means
greater than may be safely laid
against the average man.
The conviction of the cashier of
the Chestnut street bank, by direc-
tion of Judge Butler, is particularly
calculated to give ground for this
statement. There is nothing doubt.
full about this case. The exact de-
gree of this mans wrong doing is
clearly understood. He was the Of
fetal of the bank upon whom it fell
to make the returns of its condition
called for by the law. He made re-
turns, which were not correct, un-
der the direction of his superior Of
fcer, the president of the bank, who
had borrowed more money from the
bank than the law allowed one man
to borrow. Yet the loans made to
him were believed to be entirely Sc
cure. Furthermore, the national
authority, to whom the bank made
its returns under the law, was fully
acquainted with these excessive
loans to the president of the bank;
and the cashiers official report did
not deceive him. No one was de-
ceived about anything, save as to
the wealth of the president of the
bank.
The president of the bank escaped
the court by death. The cashier,
who presented the highest testimon-
ials of good character, is convicted.
And yet everyone understands that
he is guilty of doing nothing that
the generality of honest cashiers
would not have done in his place.
In truth we doubt whether many
men in his place would have done
differently, in view of the manifest
fact that his technically false report
of the condition of the bank was not
really false report to the govern
ment officials, who year after year
had accepted it, knowing wherein
it was incorrect.
Judge Butler says that this made
no difference in the cashier IS guilt,
since the statute declared his duty;
and his superior officers were not
empowered by the law to modify or
change it. No doubt that is true.
Probably the comptroller of the cur
rency had no right to knowingly ac-
cept an incorrect report from the
bank cashier; but yet it seems clear
to the ordinary mind that a cashier
who makes a return called for by
the law to the comptroller, stating
therein what he knows the comptrol-
ler knows to be incorrect; and who
is permitted by the comptroller to
do this for years; and who does it
without guilty purpose, by direction
of the banks president; and without
suspicion that the bank will suffer
by it, is not guilty of any moral
crime; and if he is sent to prision for
it, will go there with a clear con-
science and a white soul so far as
this crime is concerned.
Wherefore are we moved to say
that if some of Our judges do not
take care in constituting the laws,
the white souled citizens may all be
in Jail some day; and fother judges
do not take like care, the variegated
Quay's will occupy the world alone.
Lancaster MslTgenr0.