The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-10-31
STATE BANKERS HAVE CLOSED
GREATEST SESSION TO DATE.

". C. Robinson of Winfield. Speaking For
Country Bankers, Says the Theory of
ShyIock, That Forbesrsnce and Be-
nevoIence Have No Place in the Bank
er's Rules of Business, is FaIse-J. NJ
Harper of Conway Springs Discusses
Canadian Banking system-Tenth An
nuaI Convention Success
Country Bankers was the subject Of
a paper by w. c. Robinson OF Winfield,
before the Bankers association, which
closed here yesterday. Mr.. Robinson
said, in part:
Mr.. President, and Gentlemen of the
Bankers Convention of the State Of
Kansas:
When, a few weeks ago. L received
letter from our worthy president asking
me TO say few words, by way Of adj
dress, 20 this convention, he very pru-
IDENTIFY said: 'In order to make this
meeting a success, we must all make
some sacrifices" 7 have not fully made
up my mnd yet just what ne meant
whether he intended that l, in prepar-
ing what l might have TO say, would
make the sacrifice, or whether You, my
brother bankers, would make the sac
rifice in listening to the same. When
responded telling him what I would at
tempt to do, fully believed that your
sacriioe would in any event be great
er than mine, that I, in the deal, would
surely come OUT ahead. / have selected
for my subject The Country Banker"
because I thought that it would be a
subject that would include us all, ex-
cepting perhaps, some of our visiting
brothers, and to be courteous to the
people with whom we meet, We might
except our brother bankers in Wichita.
The preliminary field OF my subject
seems 80 prolific of thought that L fear,
if I dwell longer upon it, You viii think
the substance does not well fit my text
So 1 drop the approaches and let Us
spend a little time on the main struc-
ture. AS 1 said in the start, we are all
country bankers. and as such we fill,
really, an enviable position in society,
as well as a very responsible one. The
banker in mis- community is, and should
be, one Of the leading members; ne is,
from a business standpoint, TO the COM
inunity what the minister is, from
resgi5us standpoint, or what the phy-
stefan IS to the community. He is, and
must be, or he succeeD true to every
confidence placed in him; he should as
soon permit his right hand to be cut off
as to suffer a confidence to be betrayed.
His conduct and his real interest in
g,ss hA
such as 10 invite the utmost faith in his
integrity and his intentions, whether
from customers Of his own bank or of a
neighbours bank. I fear We are often
apt to see no good IN people unless they
be customers Of our bank. We ought
10 be above the little petty jealousies
and stIffes that are too apt to creep in
among business men. We are ambitious
and we are too often tempted to feel
that the field is ours, and we some
times do anlnjustice to our neighbor
that we may have what seems to be
our gain; but the banking business, I'M
like any other business, is closely bound
together It is like a chain to its links;
il there is a weak link in the chain the
whole thing Is weakened. This idea was
well illustrated during the great panic
OF 49, We were watchful of our own
institutions, and also of every other.
We felt that each Of us was part of
our stupendous whole, and we consulted
together. and We guarded each others
interests with a jealousy never seen be-
fore or since. 1t was no uncommon
thing during the panic for one bank to
refuse A dapOsit coming from another
bank. or even from an adjoining town.
The stability of the banks of Kansas
was a surprise 10 the whole country,
during this terribly trying ordeal 1 al
tribute this wonderful showing partly
TO the liberal and brOtherly feeling eX-
listing among the bankers of Kansas. 1t
was a very rare thing in '93 to hear of
an unkind thing being said by one bank
er OF another, and have often thought
that the passing through this terrible
business ordeal has not been without
its valuable lesson 10 many Of US. We
are better and broader minded busi-
ness men than We were before. And
when danger seems imminent 10 us we
stand together like the old Spartans
and we are willing to fight til the last
armed foe expires
The country banker especially should
ne A man in whom the people must have
the utmost faith. and to this end ne
must De honest. / often think if the old
expression His word is as good as his
bond is applicable 10 any one it is ap-
Phcable 10 the country banker His
business must be TO build up and must