Itisscarcelynecessarytogointoadiscussionhereoftheparticularpointsatwhich，ortheparticularmannerinwhich，thecanonofhonorificexpenditurehabituallytraversesthecanonsofmoralconduct。Thematterisonewhichhasreceivedlargeattentionandillustrationatthehandsofthosewhoseofficeitistowatchandadmonishwithrespecttoanydeparturesfromtheacceptedcodeofmorals。Inmoderncommunities，wherethedominanteconomicandlegalfeatureofthecommunity’slifeistheinstitutionofprivateproperty，oneofthesalientfeaturesofthecodeofmoralsisthesacrednessofproperty。
Thereneedsnoinsistenceorillustrationtogainassenttothepropositionthatthehabitofholdingprivatepropertyinviolateistraversedbytheotherhabitofseekingwealthforthesakeofthegoodreputetobegainedthroughitsconspicuousconsumption。
Mostoffensesagainstproperty，especiallyoffensesofanappreciablemagnitude，comeunderthishead。Itisalsoamatterofcommonnotorietyandbywordthatinoffenseswhichresultinalargeaccessionofpropertytotheoffenderhedoesnotordinarilyincurtheextremepenaltyortheextremeobloquywithwhichhisoffenseswouldhevisitedonthegroundofthenaivemoralcodealone。Thethieforswindlerwhohasgainedgreatwealthbyhisdelinquencyhasabetterchancethanthesmallthiefofescapingtherigorouspenaltyofthelawandsomegoodreputeaccruestohimfromhisincreasedwealthandfromhisspendingtheirregularlyacquiredpossessionsinaseemlymanner。
Awell-bredexpenditureofhisbootyespeciallyappealswithgreateffecttopersonsofacultivatedsenseoftheproprieties，andgoesfartomitigatethesenseofmoralturpitudewithwhichhisderelictionisviewedbythem。Itmaybenotedalso——anditismoreimmediatelytothepoint——thatweareallinclinedtocondoneanoffenseagainstpropertyinthecaseofamanwhosemotiveistheworthyoneofprovidingthemeansofa“decent“
manneroflifeforhiswifeandchildren。Ifitisaddedthatthewifehasbeen“nurturedinthelapofluxury，“thatisacceptedasanadditionalextenuatingcircumstance。Thatistosay，wearepronetocondonesuchanoffensewhereitsaimisthehonorificoneofenablingtheoffender’swifetoperformforhimsuchanamountofvicariousconsumptionoftimeandsubstanceasisdemandedbythestandardofpecuniarydecency。Insuchacasethehabitofapprovingtheaccustomeddegreeofconspicuouswastetraversesthehabitofdeprecatingviolationsofownership，totheextentevenofsometimesleavingtheawardofpraiseorblameuncertain。Thisispeculiarlytruewherethederelictioninvolvesanappreciablepredatoryorpiraticalelement。