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

A AoW yO"Ap 08O - ooAOSln Cbp&Ul(
lawyer living In we'll known Georgis
town, might well have been selected
as the one Citizen most likely to dis
tinguish himself and reflect honor up
on bis community. He was thirty
five years Of age, happily married., and
modestly boasted that he did not
know the taste OF whiskey nor tobac.
co. He owned bis home, and some
good farns, made a good income from
his practice, published o county paper,
and discharged efficiently tho duties
Of county school commissioner. Hav.
Ing been member of the State Sen.
ate, he had had his little fling In poll
TICS AS he had made q good record
In the legislature, and retired with
uncorrupted habits, one might have
concluded him staunoh and safe. Big
of body, ha was otherwise big Of brain
and big. hearted. 1t seemed TO give
him pleasure to help the needy; he
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 Yawn as an open prison door
on the docket book of his county.
He dares not face the court where
once his eltQ lenoe and logic shared
nonors with the keenest criminal ad.
vooate In the state. A strong man
caught In the current OF the under.
towl He was a strong man;
he was a good man; at
the age OF thirty. five he did not pos
sess the elements evsn of vlllainy.
He had been reared on farm, and
had wrought his way to prominence
by sheer merit. He was worthy of
all the confidence the people reposed
IN him.
What caused his ruinp The mania
to sell and buy cotton futures in q
bucket shop Of his town. The same
insidious, strong right arm of the
oeVil which is 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
3ne@ must faint, but :suYely with his
experience, his lei al learning, bis
sober life. he could trust himself to
steer safely through treacherous
shoals. Serene In his confidence, he
began to play the game. In small
way at first. The habit grew on him
rapidly.
When losses cama larger than his
own funds could cover, he could bor
row from the trust funds In his hands
and no one should ever know-if he
won and replaced it. Then, lost
again. The game grew desperate.
TO Qlit now meant poverty and Bon @
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 few 'conven-
tionalities" stood between him and
the money for the stake. Confident
that his time to win had oome, 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 losb!
There remained to him choice OF
only three sources. Suicidep The
weakling's refugel He was young
yet, and mental colossus. No, he
was weakling; he would live. Sur.
render? The honest course, to be
sure, but he could not make Yestitu-
tion, and without restitution, surren-
der meant long and weary years In
prison, and fag end Of life beyond
scarcely worth while. Flight? Oh,
yes; If he fly far enough and hide
safely he might live as q free man,
perhaps repent, succeed in business
under 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 cnsef
There's reason enough when one sees
the increasing number of bucket
shops opening up in our oities an0
and towns.