The times., 1898-04-23
PROOFS OF PATRIOTISM.
Substantial Loyalty of The Ameri-
can Business Men.


New York, April 22-New York mer-
chants and corporations have begun to
give the soundest kind of proof of their
loyalty to the United States.
Week before last the New York Life
Insurance Company, through it's direct
ors. offered to the President OF the United
States a loan of $lOO 600 on the Govern
ment's own terms.
Similar action was taken by other in
surance companies in and out of the city.
The Aetna, of Hartford, was conspicuous
among them. Then Wall Street was
heard from. Several who make their liv-
ing in that part of town have offered
private yachts to the Government at the
Governments own price, or at no price
at all, some of them merely asking that
their yachts be returned when the Navy
has no further need for them in as good
condition when they were turned over
Washington L. Connor and some of his
friends suggested a Wall Street regi-
ment. The original idea was to equip a
regiment and support it in the field. The
movement quickly outgreW any such linn
itations. Men did not want to stop at
gifts of money. The voices of many bank
ers and brokers who wanted to see fight
ing for themselves were heard Their
!
them were already connected with mill
itia organizations. These young men all
wanted TO know whether If they went to
fight they would find any place waiting
for them when they came back. The
answer of the employers was. quick and
decisive.
Bell & Company and Holmes & Com
/ pany led off.
Go as soon as you are called, they
said. ''and stay as long you are need
/ ed When you come back your places will
be waiting for you"
The executive committee of the Ameri-
can Surety Company met on Thursday
and passed resolutions providing that any
of its men who We're members of the Ma
I tional Guard were authorized to go out
with their regiments with leave of alb
/ sence and the fullest confidence that their
places would be held open for them.
1t has become known that practically
all the national banks in the city have
reassured their employees in similar way.
Among the first to take this step We're
the Gallatin, the Chase. the City. the
Bank of North America and the Hanover
I The Chemical Bank made its policy
known almost two weeks ago 1t promised
. not only leave of absence and a place
when the soldier returned, but to pay
his family his full salary while he was
gone.
The American Express Company told
its employees that il would pay to their
families or authorized representatives
half their salaries for as long as they
We're absent from their employment be
cause the country needed them.
No stronger evidence of the unanimity
of the patriotic impulse throughout the
city could be offered than that fur
nished by the Liverpool and London and
Globe Insurance Company, a British cor
poratiOn. which has notified its clerks
that any of them who wants to go TO the
front is free TO do SO, without feeling
that he will endanger the permanency
of his situation.
John Wanamaker set the merchants
Of the country an example on April 10.
He announced that all of his men who
were National Guardsmen would con-
tinue in his employ on full pay while
they were in the Government service
and that he would insure their lives
against the perls of battle in the sum
Of $1,000 each. He added that he did not
believe in encouraging his employees in
anything he would not do himself and
that it was his purpose 10 equip a regi-
ment and lead it in person.
Other merchants have taken up the
idea with enthusiasm.
Sweetser. Pembrook & Co. wholesale
drygoods merchants, gave "A written no.
tice like Mr. Wanamaker's to their Ma
tional Guard employees today except that
they did not repeat his insurance offer
Ehrichs & co. have announced that fight
ing employees will retain their places The
big drygoods houses in Newark and Pat
erson have done the same
over in Brooklyn, Abraham & Strauss
the Fulton Street dry goods merchants
did not stop at telling their National
Guard employees that they might go but
/ practically ordered them to go in a cir
cular which promised them reinstate-
ment on their return and full pay during
their absence.
New York has not Il monopoly of pa
triotism. The Prudential Insurance Com
pany. % Newark. has taken the trouble
to notify its policy holders that it will
waive any technical right it may have
TO dispute claims due to death in battle.
II has also followed the example Of the
New York corporations with regard to
leave of absence.
Big Paterson dry goods houses have
Joined in the movement.
a dispatch from Chicago says that the
authorities of the Michigan Central Rail
road have notified all the companys en-
ployes that those who SO to the war will
retain their situations. The roads with
which the Michigan Central is allied, 50
il j. said have agreed to issue similar
manifestoes
TErnI ATE ANJERTTA ITANG,