Los Angeles herald., 1908-12-27


getting which has caused cyclone OF
moral If not statutory crime, unap-
preached in variety and volume in any
period of our national existence.
Fiduciary Trusts Betrayed
There has been no diminution in the
commission of all the crimes nahum
in Sc, and there has been added a long
| list of crimes malum prohibitum. 1t
seems to be true that never before has
there been disclosed so much bad faith
onthe part of those holding f1duciary
positions and which has caused loss
/ of confidence in human nature, which
| is an injustice to the larger number of
/ people, who, however, are doomed to
suffer from the misconduct and disre-
pute Of an inconsiderable minority.
All this has come about because it
has come to be believed that the pur-
suit of wealth is the highest human
occupation and that he who acquires
most is greater than one who gains
| the most knowledge and develops the
highest virtues. Rockefeller, Pierpont
/ Morgan, Hill, Hartman, ct Id omne
genus, are regarded by a considerable
class of people as occupying nlgher
inches in the temple OF Fame than
Roosevelt, Bryan. La Toilette. Folk
and Jerome, Notwithstanding their pa
triotic and humane sentiments and
their great civic achievements.
Is not the publicity given to crime
day by day injurious in its effect upon
public sentiment and ideals? May not
familiarity with crimes in measure
cause moral callousness that obscures
hideousness and does it not suggest
| like conduct on the part of many who
otherwise would revolt at the thought
of crime2 1t was said that when sam
Patch jumped successfully the fails or
| Genesee and Niagara that many of
lAf-- r,g# raF
miniature by jumping from the roofs
of houses and from gate posts, to the
damage of their feet and legs.
That familiarity with crime pro-
duces decentralization is beyond rational
doubt Alexander Pope was right when
he penned the following quatrain:
Vice is a monster Of SO frIghtful mien
As to be hated needs but TO be seem
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her fac"
We hrst endure then pity then embrace.
The Few Are Aided
While our economic policies have
been such as to aid the few in exploit
| ing the many and ideals have been de-
| yeloped that bestoW honor on them
| for the wealth they possess. may it not
| be probable that those who steal, en-
bezzle, forge, burglarize and even COM
nit murder for money suppress the
monitions of conscience by arguing
what is done by others who acquire
wealth in dishonest or unfair ways,
such as are resOrted to by monopolies
and combines to hold up and exploit
| the masses under cover of law and
| business methods and who are free
from discredit in public sentiment ana
are left undisturbed by the public au-
/ thOrities?
1t is a moral crime to use ones ad-
vantages or special privileges to de-
spoil others of what they should be
respected in possessing, but who are
| pOWerless against the position ana
methods of the despoilers. The gen.
eral frenzy to obtain wealth rightly or
| wrongly is one and the most prollhc
cause of the cyclone of crime and de-
mOralizatiOn that has lately been
sweeping over the country.
While this has been going on there
/ also has been in process of development
| a counter current of moral and Chris
tian feeling that in time not very dis
tant viii have a potential influence in
subduing and bringing to an end the
criminal tornado. Behind the clouds
/ the sun has been shining, but its be-
nign light has been obscured by the
mists of greed for wealth that have
permeated the social atmosphere 1t is
said in the Scriptures that when sin
| abounds, the grace of God doth more
abound" As fact that is true, but
not always in appearance. The recent
/ exposures of general and astounding
! grating from the masses We're
brought about by the counter current
of righteousness developed while the
sin of grating has abOunded. The
hearts of the great body of the Amer
lean people are sound, but it is to be
deplored that evil is a more active ele-
ment than goodness. Macaulay said:
bad men will assail with far more
vigor and persistency than good men
will defend good principles"
1t is encouraging that vigorous ef-
forts are being put forth in ferreting
out and furnishing criminals by the
enforcers of the law, especially those
whose crimes are of a wholesale char
acter. While this win have a good ef-
feet, the criminal spirit viii not be
eradicated by fines and imprisonments
only; these must be supplemented by
the highest and most rigid teaching of
the principles of the Golden Rule in
the family, in the schools and in the
churches 1t would be an immense
point gained were the doubt removed
whether the churches do not prefer for
membership the rich man to the good
man, and when the possession of high
character shall be more appreciated
than the possessor Of gold.
Adversely Best Reformer
Moral conditions will be better when
knowledge and goodness shall be
deemed highest; when young men shall
| cease making money barons their
models There is a budding sentiment
that holds in disrepute those who ac-
quire ponderous fortunes through
monopoly or the practice of cunning
and unconscionable devices which is
having a salutary effect upon the evo-
luton of ideals as to what is the best
life. It is through an ineXorable law,
as shown in all human experience, that
adversely has a more reforming in
huence than very great prosperity. AS
a nation we have had an instructive eX-
| perience in respect to this during the
| last four decades. A check upon ma
| terial prosperity may occur at any
/ time from causes both within and be-
/ yond human control, and should that
/ happen it would by no means be an
unmixed evil. 1t might and probaly
would have a salutary influence in pu-
rifying the political and social atmos-
/ pheres. The evils flowing from a par
| ticular state of affairs never are un-
| covered fully until disaster actually has
! occurred or there are portents of its
! immediate arrival.
| The world is not really growing
| worse, but better. The general move
ment is in that direction. The people
of the more advanced nations are
/ gaining in knowledge, the natural ef-
! feet of which is toward progress, or,
| in other words, it has an influence in
making more mindful of duties and
! obligations to their fellow men, Char
| tiles are Ia rger and in greater variety