White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1923-12-09
What is the world coming to?

a thief and a robber?
Do you not feel ashamed hat you
are. Americans, when fully half OF
you and perhaps nine-tenths are con-
temptible petty larceny thievesP
In publishing this article the White
Pine News realizes that it is aimed
directly at many of the persons who
will read it, but rather than hesitate
in its publication over that fact, it
only regrets that every thief in Ne
vada or the world could read it and
perhaps a small percentage OF them
might be induced to see themselves
as they are, II not mend their ways
and be honest men and women, ceas-
ing their present actions of stealing
everything they can lay their hands
on. This newspaper hopes at the
same time that it will give personal
offense to such persons which will
mean that a consciousness of guilt
will he brought home to at least hat
many.
1t has come to such 4 pass that no
matter how slight the value Of a
thing that is left out-cf-doors over
night, and not infrequently in the
daytime, it is carried off by general
ly the first or second person hap
rening that way.
Needing or not needing the arti-
cles stolen enters into the case not
at all. The American people are
like the Navajo Indians, who. will
steal things they have no possible
use for, keep them a few weeks, pack
them around from camp to camp.
finally throwing them away. Whites.
like Indians, are forming the habit
of stealing for the mere love of it.
1t has been thought by many per-
sons that the general use of the
automobile is responsible for the
| w1d-fire thieyery that is sweeping
the country. The auto has at least
had the effect of generally diffusing
and distributing the germs, until
every part of the country is like
every other part IN that respect. IL
is a grim reminder of an editorial
appearing a few years ago in a Los
Angeles daily, which editorial con-
graduated and felicitated the people
over the fact that pennies were COM
ing into general circulation at that
city, the same as back east, from
whence the writer had recently ar
rived, and he asked this question.
rs it possible that our country is be-
coming more homogeneous.
In respect to thievery as with the
penny "our country" is becoming
disgustingly homogeneous.
The time was when the great west
was free from petty thievery. Nc
doubt there has always been the
time when stock stealing was carried
on, when large and small outfits
robbed each other. and when priva-
teers in the business Of cattle and
horse rustling flourishod and were
the talk of the country as much as
h~ootleggers and moonshiners are to-
day, but in the OLD days Of thirty
to seventy-five years ago in the west
no little things like farm and mining
tools and provisions had to be locked
up at night, for it was beneath the
dignity Of the pioneers to stoop to
petty %thievcry.
To this there has been exceptions,
the same as to all rules. but there
was a certain law of compensation
that came into play at such times.
The vigilantes of William T. Coleman
purged San Francisco of these and
other crimes, and in the early 1908
the citizens of Seattle Strung up two
men to a scantling reaching from one
shade tree fork to another at the O r
ner of Front and James streets.
which scantling remained there until,
the fire of June 6, 1889, burned it
and the trees supporting it. Again
In 1901 the people of Modoc county,
California, became so enraged over
thievery that they lynched ten or a
dozen men, and for years made the
community as honest as a Sunday
school.
Such was possible in areas Of linn
tied extent, but today the stealing
epidemic is countrywide. 1t does
not seem possible that mob law could
counteract it, It being quite conclus-
i've that other law has failed utterly
to cope with this orgy of crime.
Possibly the worst sufferers from
theft are the owners of autos who
break down on the highways and
have to leave their cars to go many
miles and often wait several days
TO get repair parts. Seldom indeed
r such cars unmolested. The mis-
fortune Of the owner, the plight in
which he is thrown, often without
money or The means of getting it.
whether he Or his family are injured
in a wreck or otherwise desperately
ill, penetrates tho conscience of the