The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1909-07-24
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EDITORIALS OF MERIT
The Grandeur of Character.

poscd 10 ne ds I'D tic supp cine CHdi
aeteristics mentioned.
A man may have fair regulations;
he may, in the opinion of his neigh
bors and acquaintances. be all in the /
way of correct department and OUT
ward appearance that could be ask /
ed. but all the time he may be in /
actual fact wholly dishonorable, a /
william and a criminal.
1t IS astonishing how easy it is to
make fair show before the public |
and a rascal Sometimes, it is
true. a vague suspicion that all 5
not right may be aroused by the fact
that some act does not even up with
an honest reputation or an apparent
rashneSs in speculation or prohigacy
of expenditure IS out of line with q
mans current reputation for care
and caution in business. But it IS
not to be expected that parties who
are making money out of a whited
sepulchre will give out any hint OF
its real character.
Perhaps there is nothing more as
tonishing than that the man who
/ knows he Is a criminal, for whom
the penitentiary IS yawning, can car
ry on to the last his game OF the
most fragrant hypocrisy, minister
ing before his fellows in the most
responsible positions in religion, ii
| business and society, and never suf
/ fer the slightest tremor of can
science, Tor no man possessed OF
+ one can live a life Of habitual crime
and vi1lainy He may commit a
serious and even an atrocious crime
i for which he will suffer long and
bitterly, and a time viii come when
/ he cannot resist the overpowering
demands of confession and repent
ance
But the man without conscience
has only one fear, that of being ex-
posed and brought to shame in the
community where he had posed as Il
model OF public importance. and de
pertinent But being at heart a
professional criminal. when the first
paroxysm of humiliation at the ex-
posure OF his real character has
passed he sinks into his place and
falls into the position of a convict,
as if it were. something which he
had always known would overtake
him sooner or later.
The matter of conscience is much
misunderstood, for, although it Is
possible that every human being, Is
born with one. its Development de
pends much on edue5fion and sur
roundings, and it issrpossible that
like some OF the human bodily or
eans, it may shrive1 and become in
ert and lifeless for lack OF develop
ment. There are men who commits
! murders through motives OF envy
! hate or jealously Fhey never sui
i Ter any qualns or conlpunction>
/ In some eases they develop a tiger
;sh desire to kill, but they never re
| greet the taking OF fife. On til,
1 other hand, men who have accident
ally and unintentionally killed ;
| friend or companion wear thei
lives out III regrets and lamenta
tions.
] 1t is only the criminal with a con
science who should have the@ bench
of pardon. The only way in whici
the villain without a Conscience ca
be made to suffer is through tn
severest punishment To set hin
free on any mere pretcxt is only il
! give him further opportunity 10
] crime Moreover, the mistake
| and wholly mischievous clemenc
] that sets free constituencies crinni
I mails gives notice to other men, an
1 particularly of the rising generatio
1 / who may BE under temptation. tina
! crimes OF almost any sort may b
] committed with very little danger c
| severe punishment, or of any punish
| ment at all. and so under the pres
1 sure of a temptation all doubts ar
| decided in favor of the Grimm;
act.
/ The most presious possession h,
] man beings can have IS. real chal
| acter for honesty, fidelity and trutl
1t is equally necessity to both me
and women Without it the va:
fabric OF human society would ne
err have been possible, and were HI
/ man honor now lost the entire 81
! ciaI organization would crumble al
fall into choas. while the enormo,
organized system of industry, con
merce >and finance would be in
moment transformed into univers
robbery and murder.
III The political, social and busine
economy of the world could n
hold together and be carried on
| moment longer if nobody could
I | trusted Uncounted billions OF N
| terial wealtl, are LETT every nome
| of time in the hands OF trust
I | agents Some OF these are paid b
salaries. while others get but p
j lance, but hundreds Of millions
\ these trusted agents are faithful