Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1901-06-06
EATH as the penalty Of dis
I honor was the subject which
J cropped up in the course of

honor was the subject which
cropped up in the course of
conversation among half a
dozen members of certain club on
Fifth avenue the other evening. De-
faulting bank cashiers was the topic
that led to it, Whether it behOoves a
man cieanly bred who has succumbed
to temptation and broken the seventh
commandment, or by any other breach
of the moral code has placed himself
without the pale of society, to execute
Justice upon himself or to 'face the
music,' set to the tune Of his trans
gression by the law of the land, was
a question upon which opinion was
divided.
Three of the company took the view
that to such a man-unless he had
fallen so low as to have lost physical
courage with his other virtues-there
could be no thought of alternative
between the bullet and a prison cell,
or flight. They contended that the
delinquent was bound to immediate
himself upon the altar Of family pride.
Two of the others, however, were
not satisfied that suicide was calcu-
lated to eradicate in any degree the
stain on the family escutcheon. One
submitted that self-destruction was
the resource of a coward, that it was
in no sense an attenuation OF his
fault and only made bad worse in
aSmuch as the act would intensity
a hundredfold the anguish of those
who held him dear
The way to look at it, take it,
Is this" said he. Assume for the
sake Of argument that the culprit
is your own son. He is in doubt as
to which course to take and comes to
you to decide for him. Would you
hand revolver to him and tell him
to go and blow his brains out?'
No one undertook to answer this
query. All of those taking part in
the conversation were elderly. ALI
were the fathers of sons.
No, Of course you wouldn't" went
on the questioner with conviction
LAS far as I am concerned, am quite
sure paternal love would transcend
every other sentiment, and I should
stand by my boy in his trouble For,
IN the last analysis, what does a man
IN such an extremity care for society?
Under the obligation to choose, he is
for his own flesh and blood first and
let's the world go hang. And in this
he but conforms to one of natures
elementary laws" .....-.--. ..a-e<
cannot conceive of a man with
any glimmer of decency left placing
MS father in such a position" OBJ
served one of the sticklers for honor,
coldly.
Which does not alter the fact" re-
torted the previous speaker, 'that
were the dilemma to present itself,
you would, or, the principle you de-
lend SO uncompromisingly be as much
In duty bound to condemn him to
death as to take your own life, had
You yourself perpetrated the crine."
That is very true" assented the
member of the group who had taken
no side in the argument. And there
are men who place the pride of family
ABOVE every other consideration, and
stop at no sacrifice, however terrible,
Tor what they believe to be it's honor
was witness of tragedy, illustrative
OF this, that I never recall without a
shudder, and the details Of which
Will relate as being peculiarly perti-
hent to the point under discussion.
was boy then, a student at
stewart College, now the Southwest
cru Presbyterian University, at
Olarksville, Tennessee. In a fine old
mansion on the outskirts Of the town
ived friend of our family, a splen-
uiu type Of the Southern gentleman,
"eaflng one of the best-known and
most distinguished names in the State.
~ ~ course | cannot divulge his name.
we VIII call him Colonel Hamilton,
Aoi the sake of convenience. He had
W unce Deen very wealthy, but the Civil
war mad left him barely enough OF
nis fortune to enable him to keep up
Appearances.
he was a widower. His daughter,
mere girl, was the mistress OF his
neosehold. ~ His only son was teller
" oank in a certain populous town
~ georgia. The Colonel was very
paoud pa OF Jack-that was the sons
he-and haa fairly idolized him. He
soo..a u made every, possible pecun; ary
'nce' even to mortgaging the old