Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-04-28
PENALTY OF DISHONESTY
Man Who Is Let OFF Does Not Always
Go Free.
CONSCIENCE A RELENTLESS ACCUSER
Just as Virtue Is Its Own Reward, So
Also Vice Carries Its Own Punish
ment-The Law and the Higher Law.

ably shocked and INUNDATED. his
son had just skunk out Of his presence
after admitting that he had dipped
into the funds of trust company In
which he was interested and had mis-
appropriated fifty-thousand dollars
which he had sunk in the "Street. y
"They have discovered the short.
age at the bank" the young man had
said. They suspect me, and I'm ir
for it. Can't you see the manager
and head 'em off? If you don't, they'll
land me in jail"
The father had looked his sor
harshly out of his gray-browned eye:
and said:
That's what they ought to do. You
should be made to take your medi-
cine: but for your mothers sake. and
for the sake of my business reputa.
ton, I'll seek the bank people and find
out what can be done"
And so now, before putting on his
hat and going to the bank, the ole
man was sitting alone in his private
office, leaning over his desk, chin ir
hand, thinking. 1t was the most
gloomy hour of his life. In this terri
bly, depressed state he thought OF
many thingS-of his sons eXtraVa-
gance, of his gambling escapades, and
how his mother would grieve if she
were to know Of this latest and great
est misdoing. But there was one vi
tai, one essential thing that never oc-
Cured to the old financier, and that
was that he himself, in his long, pre-
datory, business career, had, ovel
and over again, come so closely with
in the limits of the law and, over and
over again, had so overstepped all
moral bounds in his eager clutch for
gold, that if there was anything In
heredity, as all students Of biological
phenomena declare there is, then this
son was but the laundering follower
of his fathers ethical code. But this
idea did not enter his head. One grat
element in the situation dominated all
others-the. likelihood Of his sons
prosecution and of that far greater
evil-publicity. Yes, he must go at
once and square the thing up"
He ordered his auto and in five
minutes was at the bank. I'm aw-
fully sorry" said the manager, but
the affair is all out of our hands now
A warrant has just been issued for
your sons arrest. The surety people
insisted upon it. It's too bad, but we
had so do it,
Arrest! Never-though he had
richly deserved it a score of times
had this worthy manipulation of shady
bond issues stock-watering jobs and
other piratical schemes, been arrested
"Oh, but you can recall the war
rant" he pleaded with the manager.
"Ill square it," He produced his
checkbook. "I'll square the whole
amount and interest this minute. You
mustn't prosecute him you know"
VERY, very sorry" said the man.
ager. But, you see, the surety COM
pany who bonded him wouldn't stand
for it. It's an object to them to pros
ecute. The moral effect, you know.
It's matter of business with them"
Hang the moral effect! He's got
to be let off, do you hear? If you
won't do it, I'll go to the president,
and all the directors, if necessary"
The Rich Mans Way of Saving his
Son.
The old man left the bank in rage
for having wasted his time on a mere
manager, and sought the president,
who was an old business friend of his.
They had stood in together on many
a deal. The president hemmed and
hawed. Yes, he would be glad to
oblige him. But it was hard case to
straighten out. The surety COM
pany-
"Oh, come with me to Macs office, "
urged the anxious father. Well fix 1t
up with him."
Mac was the president of the sure
ty company, and, when the matter
was laid before him, he, too, was very
sorry. OF course, he had something
to say about the moral effect" and
that it was really against the rules of
the institution and all that; but, if tn,
shortage were made good at once, he
would waive these considerations. !
was made good. The president tele-
hi tn
warrant and stop all proceedings, and
the old financier went back to his Of
flee, lighter of heart because Of the
removal of the blot, but still in a
thoughtful mood.
1T would have served the young
rascal right if he had been sent to
JAIL" he said; but we simply couldn't
have that"
SO the young rascal, instead Of be-
ing sent to Jail, was sent to Europe to
join the select company of eXiled sons
of wealthy AmericanS-the luxurious
refugees who fly over the continent in
the swiftest touring-cars, yet can new
er run away from the pursuing wrath
of hereditary habit.
Of course, everybody in the business
world came to know of the hushed-up
affair about which nobody was sup
posed to know a word; and none was
shocked, because the young man had
done just about what all the wise
heads had predicted he would do. The
professional point-giver, who had
profted by the young fellows dishon-
esty, eager for another chance at him,
started the usual saying that what he
had done was more an error of judg-
ment than a breach of faith and
when this wise apothegm had gone
the rounds for q few weeks, with the
usual expressions of sympathy for the
young man and his family, and when
after a year, the half-forgotten and
time-vindicated prodi5al returned
from Europe, he was given a high-sal-
aried place in his fathers employ,
where he is being taught safer but no
less dishonest methods Of making
away with other peoples money.
Wealth a Protection Against Punish
ment.