New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-03-22
BALLARD- BROWNING, TIE EDITOR or THE
TIMES

The luckless newspaper which assaulted Super
ntendcnt Miller with a vehemence scarcely equsled
by the rawlings OF mailman. the authority OF a
person whose unknown, might have
Jared better II 1t had first taken pains to find out the
name OF the man 10 whom it was surrenderng Its col
umns and then had read up its TRIBUNE This last IA
fountain always OF information to such papers, but in
this particular case 1t would have found IN the issue Of
July o. 1869. the following announcement. which would
doubtless have been considered In its editorial rooms
highly interesting:
"The amount of the defaIcation Of Frank w Ballard
the Secretary OF the Security Fire Insurance Company
$4,000 The discovery OF the defalcation made by
officers OF the Company two or three days ago during
the absence OF Mr. Ballard lie mas Tor considerable
sunk all taken by him. Mr. H. was formerly secretary
Of the Importers and Traders Fire Insurance Company
&c. He was an old and trusted member OF the Young
Mems Christian Association Few stood higher IN the
estimation of insurance men, Apparently, no steps VIII
be taken by the directors OF the Security Insurance
Company to prosecute him.
MORAL FOR EDITORS.
From The Nation Marca2I.
We had no idea, when writing OF " masked
reformers last week apropos OF me ipess attack on
Miller, the Insurance Superintendent. that the appropr
illustration 1t appears that the person whom The
Times allowed TO make these assaults III It'd editorial col
umns. and whom 1t refused to produce, was worthy
gentleman known to The Times F. W. Browning"
but known to The Spectdtor-an insurance paper-as
W. Ballard" In the columns OF The Spectator ne uphed
Miller, but in the columns OF The Times he blackgarded
him handsomely Indeed. he was the author OF nearly
titled Millets Pro Tess Mllers Pet Lambs" Those
who did not indOrse Miller" The Insurance Investiga
ton" " The Insurance Report" How not to do IT,
aud superintendent Miers EXtOrtons. This valuable
expert has come forward, and in evidence before
the Committee of Investigation, and In letters TO Mr.
Miller himself and 10 the editor OF The Times confesses
he is satisfied truth In his charges and that
he Is sorry no ever wrote the articles containing the
In short, 10 locks very much IL he an arrant
humbug had particle Of conscience In his COM
POSITION" " born destructiOnist" and ought b
have his leg tied to chair when left alone in room
with valuable property. He has shameful abused the
confidence OF The Times and also shaeiuly abused the
confidence of The Spectator ought clearly not to have
been trusted by either.
The moral OF the affair for editors IL when anybody
asks leave 10 call somebody thief through your col
umns do not let him do because you think he Is hon
est unless he agrees to prove his charges called upon
because IL honest h0 may be msled by ignorance
passion. and IL dishonest he may sell you out and
bring you open shame. t II right TO add that the
suit OF the investigation thus far goes to show that
Browning nearer the truth when writing To The
Times than Ballard when writing In The Spectator
this makes little difference after all, for when the
devil gets Ballard what will become OF Browning !!
There another bit OF instruction which respectable
newspapers may draw from the affair." and that Is not TO
mix themselves up lightly and hastily in insurance quar-
rels. There is business In the United States more
embittered by competition and more ravaged by black
mnilers. Crowds of adyenturers like Ballard alias
browning live by, preyng on the fears OF
companies and their officers, in virtue OF
real or pretended connection with the press
Several weekly papers and one Quarterly re-
view" actually supported by this species OF extor-
to and respectable editor unless he takes extaor
binary precautions. venture into the region infested
stripped aud robbed as Tie Times Eds been.