Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1919-01-10
SWIPING.
tBy Frank &. Ward.D


regard this word lightly. To them
II seems sort OF joke. II is used
III the common affairs OF daily life
and viewed as harmless privilege.
When one boy slyly slips a pencil
out pf another boys pocket ;ird
Keeps it for his own use. saying that
he swiped it. he often laughs about
II and thinks he has done a shrewd
Trick. Or IT may be like the boy who
visited the room OF a friend during
his absence and took a violin string
without any explanation. thinking
he had only swiped something and
tnat-It was trivial matter.
But 1t may be we'll to ask yourself
something about your moral respon-
sibility for such acts. No doubt you
think OF IT as harmless. 1t is an act
OF thoughtlessness rather than one of
rongdoing. Some boys who prac-
tice swiping repulse Indignantly the
harsh word stealing To them the
two words seem In altogether differ
ent classes.
1t is assumed by the one who
swipes things that the owner would
give them cheerfully il asked. And
II given simply for the asking" he
argues, why go to the trouble of
making the reQuest?" That for the
lime satisfies him.
lie wouldn't care is the expla-
nation in defense of an act of swip-
ing. The man at the corner has
some beautiful roses growing over
the fence; or the man in the next
house has some peach trees whose
Limbs hang over the walk. laden with
inviting peaches. II you ask him, he
viii give you all you want How
ever. YOU DO not &c to that trouble.
but :;wipe few as you pass and fec!
just as comforta BILE about it as tho
banded them to you. You only swip-
ed them; that is all
But YOU should know that if yea
form this habit there is something
serious that will grow out Of it, and
that something will have to be reck-
oned with sooner or later Here are
one or two results. If you take the
time, you can add others yourself.
1t will blunt your finer moral SEN
slbillties. That is hard lot to fall
into. There should be sharp and
| clear line of demarcation between
right and wrong in your mind all tho
time. And very likely YOU think there
is, and that it is drawing too fine
distinction to place swiping in so
straight moral jacket Neverthe-
less, If you do It, swiping will cast a
llur over your finer ethical feelings.
You pride yourself. do you not, OIL
your ability 10 make proper distinc-
tons in the things you are familiar
with? You can tell to An exact de-
gree the difference between one base
ball and another. and just where one
Isis apd the other eXce;s. Now, if
you fail to make the same careful
distinctions in things moral, the line
Of difference will soon lose its sharp
ness. That will be an unworthy
fate for you: you deserve something
/ better.
The practice persisted in will pro-
duce an Unbalanced sense of Justice
II II ever crmes 10 pass that you have
10 stop and study about /. before You
can tell which Of two things is the
Just one, your moral ship has sprung
q serious leak. 1t is not so much a
question CT whether the person YOU
swipe something from will be injured
! thereby. II you swipe a fishing rod
CT postage stamp from another, he
may really never miss it, much less
be damaged. But the serious ques-
ton is whether you will not suffer
loss. whether you will not suffer a
distorted sense Of justice. There is
I danger of battering down the parti-
ZION between. your convenience and
the other fellows rights.
You have not thought swiping a
very serious offense. You certainly
&c not intend 1t TO be. Avoid It. and
it never can be.