The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1908-02-13
- Wall Street Has Turned Out More Erbezzlere
Than Fagins School Did Thievee

I am aware that here in New
YORK, said he, "the Stock Exchange
is regarded with a certain amount. of
generation and that many who ye-
hemently denounce gambling in a
Dackroom where winnings and losses
are small, remain strangely silent in
the presence OF the enormous games
tnat are played upon the stock mar
ket, often with loaded dice. Gambling
is one Of the worst of vices. and
gambling in stocks and farm products
is the most destructive form in which
the vice appears. Measured by the
number OF suicides caused by the
New York Stock Exchange. Monte
Carlo is an innocent pleasure resort
by comparison. Measured nv tho
amount of money changing hands. the
contrast is still greater in favor of
Monte Carlo: and measured by the
influence upon those who do not gam
Die, the evils of Monte Carlo are in
slgnlncant when compared with the
evils of New York's commercial
gambling houses. The New York
Stock Exchange has graduated. more
emoezzlers than Fagins school did
thieves. 'N
After a crusade which convulsed
a state and at least impreSsss h = inc
+ -, sesotbo- e Nation. we got rid of
the. 4 lottery and then we
tue The sh in charge o of the o lott var,
never did 1.-THE of the harm that the
grain gamblers and the stock gam
piers OF New York do every day. nor
ala they ever exercise anything like
the corrupting influences over poli-
TICS: II mas been asserted without
uehlal that ninety-nine per cent. of
1 nrlr
STOCK and of produce are merely befs
upon the market value, with no In
| tentlon upon the part of the vendor
10 deliver, or on the part of the pur-
| CHASER TO receive. This is not bust
ness; 1t is not commerce; 1t is not
speculation; 1t is common. vulgar
gambling, and when to the Ordinary
chances that the gambler takes are
ADDED the extraordinary chances dine
10 the secret manipulation of this, mar
ket by those who are on the inside
the STOCK market becomes worse than
an honestly conducted gambling re-
sort. IL a man takes a chance upon
wheei OF fortune, he knows Just
whaC MS chance is, and he knows
Ihat the owner of the wheel has q
percentage of chances in his favor
put when stranger CANDLES upon
the stock or grain market he is at the
mercy OF those who, by obtaining con-
trol OF the visible supply, can DESTROY
every natural law or business rule
which the outsider knows. heg
the spiritual advisers of our great
citles TO consider whether thew cannot
advance religion as we'll as morality
Dy pointing out that the command
ment, Thou shalt not steal is openIv
anu VIGOROUSLY violated in the stock
market and in the grain pit by those
VINO profess to believe in the Bible
anu 10 10 nave respect tor its teachings.
Inc swollen fortunes against
which the President Justly inveiqhs
almost without exception find their
source In special privileges and in
governmental favoritism which legal
lie injustice; 1t is not strange that the
humble members of society comnIain
put IL Is strange that conscience does
not more often restrain the rich and
the potent from asking for such nm
fair advantages.
The commandment, Thou shalt
not steal will not have the weight
tnat 1t ought to have among men nm
I'll IL is so construed as to bring the
Ieelhg or guilt and shame to those
VINO Draw from the common store
more than they add in service. IF we
can but create a sentiment which viii
make men ashamed, not only of
wrongdoing but of idleness as we'll
and NIL them with an earnest desire
10 make generous return to society
Tor all the blessings that society con
iers' It Will be easier to prevent those
varieties of larceny which are so diff
cult to define and which the officers
OF the law find it-hard to detect and
punish"