Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-05-16

late Instructions as a sulue 70 SUE
ceeding administrations
Among the subjects that now neHlunu
cur attention are those OF taAhtlon' the
passage OF u public Warehouse pul, anu
the repeal OF the constitutions lhnlpi-
ton against the Incorporation OF state
banks as banks OF deposit and discount
In this line call your attention 70 the
very unsatisfactory laws az present
existing relative TO corporations ihe
legislature OF 1898, Ia a gingelly man
ner, relaxed some 81 the old-uinc hus-
tillty toward corporations, ana 70
limited extent hroldened the Held OF
operation for capital As al OF us
know, for many years the rule las peen
for domestic capital desiring Inc pro-
tectlon OF limited liabilily 10 apply 10
distant states Tor chartelhi Nnlch' NheH
filed with our secretary or state, per-
init was given authorizing them TO 40
business In Texas, TINS was Simply
beating dhe 'old boy around the
stump. and. as is well known, was car
RED on to considerable extent. Inc
legislature In question measutaply en-
lnrged the scope Of corporate opera
tons. but failed TO provide laws for
their regulation. As result, regular
mushroom growth of corporations has
sprung up all over the state, author
ized to do business upon capital as
ethereal as the "azure blue OF which
poets write. This i5 all wrong. While
good sense should silence much OF the
clamor against corporations in Texas,
sound policy demands that these use
ful agents be required like national
banks, to pay up In good faith the act
uul amounts as capital called for by
their charter.
Having thus far discussed Ideas be-
longing largely 10 our especial line OF
work, l now desire to trespass little
further upon your patience while out
line lew thoughts IN which the public,
az wei as ourselves, IS inevitably con-
ccrned. Among the first 1 mention is
one, the contemplation of which con-
talns no element OF pleasure Tor me.
allude TO crimes In our own ranks.
BANK FAILURES and suspensions which
occurred during the panic OF 1888, owing
To conditions then existing, should
nave no tendency TO WeaEen confidence
! in our banking system. NO human sys-
1 TEN has ever In the past, or ever can
IN the future, be devised wherein fail
ure Is an lmpossibility. NO special or
/ gahlIauon, sacred, secular or secret,
! has ever been, or ever VIII be, formed
| that VIII be entirely free from the In
| Huenccs OF evil To the per centage OF
| failures and suspensions among banks
| we might point with pleasing pride
] and contrast them with any
| other and all other nvoca-
| tons OF life, to our entire sat
:
/ alton the misdeods of others, wave Of
| crime seems TO have arisen, submcrging
more old and trusted liduciary agents
during the past year than over before
In our history. The total cmbezzle-
ments for 1891 all over the United states
| reached the very large sum OF $25,2A,-
ll2, New York heads the list with
/ dctalcation of over nine millions, with
/ Tennessee close second OF something
| over four millions. The membership
OF the Texas bankers association IT.
self seems not 20 have entirely escaped
| from the blightug shadow of dlshonor,
| though IL Is gratifying in some degree
to know that the causes are few where
In our members have figured. the total
def0lcation for the entire state being
only slightly In excess OF $i3i.000 Is
the world growing worse In It's old age?
Have the teachings of mOralsts, thco-
! l1glann and philosophers lost power to
tnstill principles OF integrity2 Or have
our laws become effete and insufficient
to deal with the tendency OF human
nature at this stage Of our civilization?
Shall We visit greater and swifter Sc
verify on wrong-dcers In order to ter
rify them Into paths of reotltude? Let
us see. School houses exist In every
city and hamlet, on district pr0iries,
and In secluded forests throughout tie
length and breadth Of the land, and
for all ordinary and practical purposes
I
ring, and songs of praise ascend to the
GNer OF all things good. with perfect
regularity, and people are attracted to
devotional exercises aud taught the
necessity OF leading upright lives, just
as they have been for ages past Ma
uonal banks have been subjected to
double the personal scrutiny OF agents
or the government, compared with the
system In vogue a few years ago, and
their reports, sworn to and Infested,
are much more explicit and comprchcu-
slvc thur they formerly were.
And yet II seems 10 me that crime Is
upon the increase. 1t may be urged
that crime has not In fact Increased.
but improved methods have better
served TO unearth and expose II.
Whether this proposition be true or
false. l am persuaded that one OF the
main causes of this state of affairs lies
In the over-eagerness OF men to become
suddenly rich, and the temptati don in
the many alluring but delusive schemes
held out and broadly advertised in This
age OF speculation. Truly ambition
plays an important role In many a lIfe
drama, which often ends In gloomy
tragedy, Law unquestionably should
be potent to check crime, and heartily
subscribe to every Improvement which
shall tend to better enforce Its DEGREES
one other thought, and leave this
rambling discourse with you: As we
mount tho threshold OF the twentieth
century q calm retrospect exhibits
much In tho way of achievement, com.
mendablc to the pride OF both stnte