The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. SATURDAY, MARCH 17, 1894.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 66, 17 March 1894, Page 4

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

SATURDAY, MARCH 17, 1894.

"for the cansa that lacks osstatancs, For this 'wrnat that needs vsnistance. ?«r the future in ths distancs, led th« good that we can so.

Jabez Spencer Balfour, whose name has been ringing through the world for nearly two years in connection with the Liberator Building Society frauds, is one of those singular specimens of human nature that furnish a fruitful theme for the disquisitions of the moralist. Probably no man ever lived who had a more entire confidence in the gullibility of his fellowcreatures, or who pub his principle s into action with more unblushing effrontery. The scoundrel Beema true to his despicable creed to the last. As the famous Mr Pecksniff, after being felled by a blow from a walking-stick " with knobs on it"—unmoved by the torrent of contempt poured upon him by old Martin Chuzzlewit —sab on the floor and indulged in a moral homily, bo the sanctimonious Jabez replies to the execrations of his victims by turning up the whites of his eyes, and assuring an Argentine press representative " that be has full confidence in the justice of God." The career of Jabez Balfour furnishes one of many instances of the ease with which the public is swindled by sharpers who conceal their designs behind the mask of a religious profession. Many persons, who in other matters are smart enough, seem to think ordinary business precautions are unnecessary if the man to whom they entrust their money be a burning and shining light in some little Bethel. We need nob go oat of our own colony for cases where the "religious racket!" has been used by unscrupulous persona to delude and ruin their unfortunate dupes. But Jabez Balfour stood head and shoulders above the crowd of ordinary sharpers, and his surroundings gave him more than ordinary facilities tor imposing on the credulty of the others. As a son of Mrs Clara Balfour (a lady who waa well

known as a writer and lecturer on temperance and religious questions) he had a large field of operations open to him. His stock-in-trade appears to have consisted chiefly of unbounded impudence and a plentiful supply of cant. Many men by similar stepping stones have reached high positions iv the political or commercial world, and many men will, doubtless, yet do so. Ab any rate, for a long term of years the redoubtable Balfour hud no cause to complain of the euccess of the tactics he employed. As a member of Parliament and as Mayor of Croydon, he was regarded by thousands with an admiration that seems remarkable in the light of subsequent disclosures. His name was constantly beard of in connection with philanthropic schemes, and on the eve of a financial crash which starbled the whole kingdom, and caused widespread ruin, the arch-hypocrite had so managed to hoodwink his constituents thab at the Parliamentary election he was returned at the head of the poll as member for Burnley by a large majority. Wo have on several occasions given details of the failure of the Liberator Building Society. The recklessness of the financing in connection with it, and the group of kindred societies manipulated by Balfour and his colleagues is amazing, bub so well had the scheme been worked for years thab the Liberator Building Society "enjoyed a reputation in Nonconformist circles and among temperance folk as being as safe as the Bank of England." It was only when the crash came, and ib was found that the reserve fund merely, existed on paper, thab the capital had been used in linuncmg a group of rotten institutions, and that the millions invested had disappeared "like the baseless fabric of a vision," that the unhappy shareholders and depositors awoko from their dream. Thousands have been broughttopenury. The high rateot interest oflered by the Liberator Society induced numbers of people of limited means, including many widows and maiden ladies, to invest their capital, and nome of these have been reduced to such Bfcraits that they have had to take refuge in the workhouse. In passing sentence on one of the principal offenders, the Judge remarked on the number of heai trending caees of the kind that had been brought under hie own notice. We hope no further difficulties will be raised by the Argentine Government to Balfour's extradition, and to meting out to the sanctimonious scoundrel " the iustice of God." His fellow-rogues have already been dealt with. Newman was sentenced to 5 yearß', Hobbs to 12 years', and Wright to 12 years' penal servitude. It will be an additional satisfaction to the British public to find the chief offender is not to finally escape the punishment he has so long eluded.