The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-06
The Case of Weeks.

| The remarkable thing about the case OF
WEEKS Is that people gave him the oppor.
tunity to get away with their money. He
had estates trusted absolutely to his indi.
vidual keeping. and his management OF
| them was not scrutinized. Even executors
| and trustees associated with him allowed
! him to have his own way.
Thus degree Of confidence was reposed
in the mans honesty and sagacity which
| ought not to be put in anybody or accepted
by anybody. The men who are tho most
| worthy Of such trust are tho very men
who are most loath TO receive it. They do
not want to assume the responsibility OF
caring for other peoples money. They are
unwilling to take it except as pious duty
forced on them by ties OF relationship or
close friendship. The more the ignorance
OF the beneiiciaries OF trust concerning
the details OF financial management tho
greater is the repugnance Of those men to
assuming it's burden. They do not want
blind confidence. They want intelligent
understanding and full comprehension Of
all they do. in detail and in general.
Hence. the men most trustworthy and
most competent az trustees avoid rather
than invite the responsibility; and when
duty or affection compcls them to bear 1t.
they are scrupulous In adhering to the
strictest and most conservative interpreta-
ton OF the legal restrictions on them. even
at the expense of dissatisfaction with the
income they obtain on the part OF those
they serve with a conScientiousness so nice.
So far as possible. they insist on limiting
the confidence necessarily reposed in them
individually. They trust their own iudg-
ment in their own affairs, but they do not
want other people to trust it in the man
ngement of money Of which they them
selves do not know how to take care.
WEEKS was very different. He seems to
have invited trusts. lie seems to have
sought the grave responsibility from which
careful and conscientious men try to escape.
and which they assume only as an unwel-
come obligation of duty. He took whatever
estate was offered him, little or great the
property Of acquaintances, OF women. and
OF people ignorant of business and incapa-
bic of understanding its methods. Instead
OF repelling blind confidence. he fostered it.
That Of itself furnished occasion for rea-
sonable suspicion. Probably he would have
executed honestly the trusts conilded to
him. IL his own financial affairs had gone
along swimmingly. He would have pre-
ferred to make money rather than to steal
1t. and he expected to make the more, le-
ultimately. because OF the consequence he
obtained from this wealth intrusted to him;
but his plans did not work successfully,
and to help them along he appropriated
trust funds. intending to pay them back.
Very likely, II the general financial difficult
Ties which had boon increasing since 1890
had not occurred. he would never have been
discovered as false trustee.
lie Is the victim Of the blind confidence
reposed In him; and 1t was reposed because
OF his social reputation and connections
rather than because OF any approved inan-
ciai sagacity and prudence and demon-
strated honor and fidelity. A man who
makes business of inviting trust Is the
last man to be trusted.