The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-08-03
MANY ARE RUINED
BY BUYING AND SELLING COTTON
EUTUREs.
how 1t Ruined a Strong Han Who
Was Immune Against Other
Bad Habits.

A few years ago o certain capable
lawyer living In o we'll known Georgia
town, might well have been selected
as the n citizsn most likely to dis.
tinguish himself and reflect honor up.
on bis community. he was thirty.
five years Of age, happily married, and
modestly boosted that he did not
know Uhe taste OF whiskey nor tobao.
co. He owned bis home, and come
good farms, made q good income from
his practice, published q county paper,
and discharged efficiently tho duties
Of county school commissioner. Hav.
Ing been q member Of the State Sen.
ate, he had had his little fling in poll
tics. AS he had made o good record
In the legislature, and retired with
interrupted habits, one might have
concluded him staunoh and safe. Big
of body, he was otherwise big of brain
and big. hearted. 1t seemed TO give
him pleasure to help the needy; be
gave cordially to the support of his
church.
Today that man is o fugitive from
Justice. Several indictmsnts charg-
Ing embezzlement, cheating and SWIM.
ding, forgery and other kindred
crimes Ya@n IS On open prison door
on the docket book of his county.
He dares not face the court where
once his elt q lence and logic shared
nonors with the keenest criminal ad.
vocste In the state. A strong man
caught in the current OF the under.
fowl He was q strong man;
be was q good man; at
the age OF thirty. five he did not pos
sess the elements evsn of villainy.
He had been reared on o farm, and
had wrought his way to prominence
by sheer merit. He was worthy of
all the confidence the people reposod
IN him.
What caused his rutnp The mania
to sell and buy cotton futures in q
bucket shop Of his town. The same
%insidious, strong right arm of the
90 vii which Ia blasting more homes
and blackening more souls In our
South today than the rum shops. He
knew this current was dangerous.
Others embarking weaker than he, he
&new must faint, but surely with his
experience, bis lei al learning, his
sober life, he could trust himsel. TO
steer safely through treacherous
shoals. Serene In his confidence, he
began to play the game. In q small
way at first. The habit grew on him
rapidly.
When losses cansa larger than his
own funds could cover, he could bor.
row from the trust funds In his hands
and no one should eve knOw-if he
won and replaced it. Then, lost
again. The game grew desperate.
To Qlit o meant poverty and SON Q
humiliation. The LUCK must turn; he
felt the hour had struck to recoup his
losses. Did he have nerve" enough
to act on his judgmentp Yes, he had
nerve; why throw away the golden op.
%portunity when only o few "conven-
tionalities' stood between him and
the money for the stake. Confident
that his time to win had como, he
gathered every dollar that he could
borrow by process fair or fou'. staked
it on the game-and lost. Honor,
reputation, character, all lostl Per
haps his eternal soul lossl
There remained to him choice OF
only three sources. SuicldeP The
weakling's refuge! He was young
yet, and O mental colossus. No, he
was weakling; he would live. Sur.
render? The honest course, to be
sure, but he could not make restitu'
tion, and without restitution, surren.
der meant long and weary years in
prison, and q fag end Of life beyond
scarcely worth while. Flight? On,
yes; If he fly far enough and hide
safely he might live as q free man,
perhaps repent, succeed In business
under a new name, and by and by re-
turn what he had stolen. He fed,
may he repent, prosper and restore.
But why speak Of the sad casef
There. reason enough when one sees
the increasing number Of bucket
shops opening up In u cities and
and towns.