West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-03-22
DISHONESTY.
REBuKING BANK DIRECTORS.
DIR. Talmage Points Out the Great
Want OF the business World.

Tho two most skillful architects I'm all the
world are the bee and the spider The one
= uS up sugar mandatory and tho other
DulidS slaughter house for flies ON !
bright summer morning, when the sun come,
4 out ana shines upon the spiders web be
ueckel with dew, the gos.amer structure
seems bright tnough for suspension bridge
Tor supernatural beings TO cross ON M,
alas for the poor fly, which in the latter
| part oil that very day, ventures on IT, ami R.
Caught ana dungeoned and DESTROYED The
| ny was INFORMED that il was tree bridge.
ana would cost nothing but Mt the other end
s9I the bri Sc the toll paid was its own life.
4 ne next day there comes n strong wind. an, u
away goes the web, and the maraudino
spider and the victimiled 1y. So delicate
are The silken threads of the spiders web
that many thousands OF them are put TO.
| gethcr before they become visible 10 the
human eye, and 10 takes 1000, 900 of them 10
make thread as large as the human hair.
Most cruel as wei as most ingenious is the
| SPIDER. a prisoner i'm the Bastile France
had one so trained that at the sound of 4
vloln IL every day came for is meal of flies
JOB, The author OF my text, and the leading
scientist OF his day, had no doubt watched
one n,oraclous process OF this one insect with
another, and saw spider and fly swept down
win the same broom, or scattered by the
same wind. Alas, that the world has so many
designing spiders and victimized flies
mere mas not been a time when the utter
ana black responsibility OF many men hav-
ing the financial interests of others i'm charge
has been more evident than IN these last few
years
The unroofing OF banks and disappearance
OF administrators with the funds of large
estates, and the disorder amid pustofIice
accounts and deficits amid United States
officials, have made n pestilence Of crime
that solemnizes every thoughtful man and
woman, ana leads every philanthropist and
Christian to ask: What shall be done TO stay
the plaguef There is a monsoon abroad, a
typhoon, sirocco. i sometimes ask myself
II IT would not be better for men making
wis 70 bequeath the property directly to
the executors and officers OF the court. and
appoint the widows and orphans n Commit
Tee 10 see that the former got all that did not
belong TO them The simple fact is that
there are large number of men sailing
yachts and driving fast horses and mem.
bers OF expensive club houses aud controIlin1
country seats who are not worth a dollar
n they return to others their lust rights
Under some sudden reverse they fail.
ana with afflicted air seem to retire from
tho world, and seem almost ready for
monastic life, when i'm two or three years
they blossom out again, having COMPROMISED
with their creditors, that is, paid them moth
ing out regrets, and the only difference be-
tween the second chapter of prosperity and
the first IS that their pictures are Murillos in
stead OF kensetts and their horses go a mile
IN twenty seconds less than their predeces.
sors, ana instead of one country seat they
nave three ! have watched and have no
ticed that nine out of ten of those who fail
IN what is called high life, have more means
after than before the failure, and in many of
the cases failure is only a strategem 10 es-
cape the payment OF honest debts and put the
world off the track while they practice
large swindle. There is something woefilly
sible. -
First of ALL charge the blame on careless,
indifferent bank directors and boards having
IN charge great financial institutions Ia
ought not to be possible for a president or
cashier or prominent officer of a banking in
sututlon to swindle it year after year with
ont detect on. l will undertake to say that
X these frauds are carried on for two or
three years without detection either the
directors are partners in the infamv and
pocketed part of the theft, or they are guilty
OF culpable neglect of duty, for which God
VIII hold them as responsible as he holds the
acknowledged defrauders What right have
prominent business men TO allow their names
To be published as directors in n financial
institution, so that unsophisticated 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. It case OF de-
ception most reprehensible. Many people with
surplus OF money, not needed for Immediate
use, although it may be little further ON
indispensable, are without friends competent
70 advise them, and they are guided solely by
the character OF the men whose N mes are
associated with the institution. When the
banks went the small earnings and limited
fortunes OF widows and orphans, and the
hopelessly aged, the directors stood with
idiotic stare, and to the inquiry of the
frenziet depOSitors and stockholders who had
lost their all. and TO the Arrangement of an
indignant public had nothing to say except:
- we thought it was all right We did not
know there was anything wrong 90
ing on 1t was their duty TO know
They stood in a post on which de-
luded the people with the idea that
they were carefully observant Calling
themselves directors, they did not direct
TGey had opportunity Of auditing accounts
and inspecting the books No time To do so
Then they had no business to accept the posi-
ton. 1t seems to be the pride OF some moneyed
men TO be directors in great many institu-
tons and all they know is whether or not
thev get their dividends regularly and their
names are used as decoy ducks to bring others
near enough 20 bemade game or What first
OF All, IS needed is that five thousand bank di-
Tectors and insurance company directors re-
syn or attend TO their business as directors
Robustness world will be full of fraud Just
as long as fraud is so easy. When Won arrest
the president and secretary of a bank for an
embezzement carried on for many years
nave plenty Of sheriifs out the same day to
arrest all the directors. They are guilty
either of neglect or completely.
we must especially deplore the misfortune
or banks IN various parts OF this country in
that they damage the banking institution.
WhiSh - Lut great convenience OF tho
turies, and indispensable TO commerce and
the advance Of nations With one hand h
blesseS the lender, and with tho other IL
biesses tho borrower The bank was born OF
the worlds necessities, and is venerable with
the marks Of thous lnds Of years.
We also deplOre abuse Of trust funds he
cause they fly IN the face OF that divine good
ness which seems determined to bless this
ava We are having the eighth year of nm
exempted national harvest The wheat
gamblers get hold Of the wheat, and the corn
gamblers get hold Of the corn. The full tide
OF Gods mcr y toward this land Is nut hack
~ those great dykes Of dishonest resistance
When God provides enough food and clothing
70 feed and apparel this whole nation IKE
Princes. the scramble Of dishonest men to get
more than their share, and yet IL at All
hazlards' keeps everything shaking with un.
certainty AMI everybody asking: What
next Every week makes new reveal
lions How many more bank presi-
dents and bank cashiers have been specu-
iating with other peoples money. and
how many more bank directors are in
imDocilo silence letting che perndv 20 on. the
great and patient God only knowsl Nv
opinion De- that we have got near the bottom
The wind has been prickei from the great
bubble OF American speculation " The men
who thought tIat the Judgment day was al
leasJ 5,'DJ years oIt founG it in 1888, 1887 and
1880; and this nation has been taught that
men must keep Their hands ont OF other pso-
pies pockets Great businesses built on bor-
rowed capital have been obiitorated. and men
ia Z"