The Nicodemus cyclone. [volume] (Nicodemus, Graham County, Kan.) 1887-1888, 1888-03-16
Special to the Kansas C9ty Times.


Hold Thee in full survey:
Forget the steps already trod,
And onward urge thy way"
AS, last Sabbath, the Rev. T. Dewitt Tai
mage, u. d., the pastor had baptized h.
Sprlnklng, he this morning baptized nv fm
mersIon those who preferred this mode, q ban
1lstry having been built under the pulpit. Tn,
subject of bis sermon was: "The Age O
Swlndle," and the text, Job s, Il: "Whos,
trust shall be SPIDERS web" Dr.. Talmag,
said
The two most skllful architects in all tb,
"orlu are the bee and spider. The one put.
up sugar manufactury and the other build:
d sioughter-hOu1e for flies. On bright sum
mer morning when the sun comes out and
SHINES upon the SPIDERS web, bedecked with
ueW, the gOssamer structure seems BRIGHT
enough Tor suspension bridge for superpat-
urai beings to cross on But alas for the
poor lily, which, in the latter part of that very
Jay, ventures on it. and is caught and DIM.
geoned and destroyed. The lv was Informed
mat 1t was free bridge, and would cost
nothing, but at the other end of the bridge
tne Toll paid was its own life The next day
thefe comes down a strong wind, and away
goes the web, and the marauding spider and
the victimized fiy. So delicate are the silk
en- threads Of the SPIDERS web that tiianv
thousands of them are Put together before
they become visible to the human eve. and
IL takes four million Of them to make a Thread
as large as the human hair. Most cruel as well
as most Ingenius is the spider. prisoner In the
DSSIile, France, had one so trained that at
the sound of violin it every dav came for its
meal OF flies. Job, the author OF my text
ana the leading scientist of his day. had no
doubt watched the 7OraciOus process of this one
insect with another, and saw spider and fv
swept uoWn with the same broom, or scattered
Dy the same wind. Alas that the world has
flies ''N''AAiN0"
1nere mas not been time when the utter
ana black responsibility OF many men having
the financial interests Of Others in charge. has
Oten more evident than in these last few
years -"
e Inc unroofng Of banks and disappearances
VI administrators with the funds of large es-
Cates, ana the disorder amidst post office ac-
counts and deficits amid United States Off
clalS, nave made a pestilenCe of crime that
6olemnizes every thoughtful man and woman.
ana leads every phlanthrOpist and Christian
" ask: what shall be done to stay the
PiaRuet 1here is a monsoon abroad a tv-
phoon, sirOccO. / sometimes ask myself if
IL would not better for men making Wills TO
oequeath the property directly to the execu-
tors and officers of the court and appOint the
WIDOWS ana orphans committee to see that
inc former got all that did not belong to them.
Inc simple fact is that there are large number
Vi men sailing yachts and driving fast horses.
anu members OF expensive club houses and
controlling country seats who are not worth a
1ollar IL they return to others their Just RIGHTS
Cnuer some sudden reverse they fail, and
IN tT,r b. Al.
ana seem almost ready for monastic life,
When III two or three Years they blossom out
again, having compromised with their
cfeultors, that is, paid them moth
ing put regrets and the only differ
ence between the second chapter of pros
perlty and the first, is that their pictures are
MufliiOs instead of kensetts, and their horses
90 mile IN twenty seconds less than their
predecessors. and instead Of one country seat
they have three. [ have watched and have
notlced that nine out of ten Of those who fail
III what is called high life, have more means
aIter than before the failure and in many of
The cases failure is only strategem to escaDe
tne payment of honest debts and put the world
OH the track while they practice large swim
ole. There is something woefullY wrong in
the TACT that these things are possible
First OF all, / charge the blame on careless
lnulfferent bank directors and boards having in
charge great financial institutions It ought
not 10 De possible for a president or cashier
or prominent officer of banking institution
10 sWlndle it year after without detection. |
VIII undertake to say thatif these frauds are
carried on for two or three wears without do
lection. either the directors are partners in the
lnfamy and pocketed part of the theft or they
are guilty or culpable neglect of duty, for
Whlch GOD will hold them as responsible as He
holds the acknowledged defrauders. What
right have prOmident business men to allow
their names to be published as directors in a
81 hat III,
people are thereby induced to deposit their
money IN or buy the scrip thereof when they.
the published directors are doing nothing for
The safety OF the institution Fit is case of de-
ceptlon most reprehensabe. Many people
WIN surplus OF money, not needed for i'm
mediate use, although it may be little furth- |
er on indispensable. are without friends
competent to advise them and they |
are guided solely BY the character of |
the men whose names are associated with the |
instltut on. When the crash came. and with
the overthrow of the banks went the small
earnings ana limited fortunes Of widows and |
orphans, and the helplesslY aged. the directors |
STOOD with lGlOtc stare, and TO the INQUIRY of !
tne trenZled depOstOrs and stockholders who |
hau lost their all, and to the arraignments of |
an indignant public had nothing to saw ex- |
cept: we thought 1t was all right We did |
not Know there was ANYTHING wrong going |
on" 1t was their dutr TO know They stood |
IN position which deluded the people with
me IDEA that they were carefully obseryant /
Calling themselves directors, they dd not
direct They had opportunity Of auditing |
accounts and inspecting he books No time /
10 do sol Then they had no business 10 /
accept the position. Ii seems to be the pride I
q some monied men 10 he directors In a great 4
many institutions, and all they know is /
whether or not they yet Their dividends 1
regularly, and their names are used as decov /
ducks TO bring Others near enough 10 be made /
game OF. What first Of all needed i that /
3,uOo bank directors and insurance companv
directors resign or attend TO their business as /
directors, The business world Will be fun If [
fraud just as long as fraud is so easv. When /
you arrest the president and secretary Of a |
bank for an enlightenment carried on for /
many years, have plenty Of sheriffs out the /
same day 20 arrest all the directors. They /
are guilty either OF neglect of completely.
'Oh, some one will say, ''better preach the /
Gospel and let business matters alone.n |
reply: If your Gospel does not inspire com
m1n honesty in the dealings Of men. tie
sooner you close up your Gospel and pitch If
into the depths Of the Atlantic Ocean the bet /
ter An orthodox sw:ndler is worse than a /
heterodox swindler. The recitation Of all tie
cathechisms and creeds ever written, and /
drinking from all the communion chalieas
that ever glittered in the churches of Christ
endom Will never save your soul unless vour
business character corresponds with your r.
llgous profession. Some Of the worst sc0un-
drels in America have been members az
churches and they cot fat on sermons ab out