The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-02-16
BANK LOOTIVG,

A recent issue of the Minneapolis
Journal says:
THE case of Cashier Quinlan of the big
Chemical National bank of New York,
whose story is told IN the dispatches is
interesting as revealing q state of affairs
too common by far in this country Mr.
Quinlan admits that ne loaned s39. coo of
the banks money on weak collatera with
out consulting the president and directors.
1t is said that Quinlan made nothing him
self out of these loans and the bank man.
ayers are trying to make out that he is
mentally detective
Few will accept that theory. Within the
last few years the public has seen a num-
Der of banks wrecked by the free and easy
use of their funds by ofcess and mana
gers There have been cases of bank
wrecking right here in Minnesota, where
not only the cashiers; but the presidents
and directors have looted the funds. snec-
u'ated with and invested Them and vet
nave escaped, by the interposition of film
sy legal bubbles and technicalties. the
punishment they so richly deserve A plea
oil insanity is never made for a burgla r
VINO mas looted bank. Nobody ever thinks
or such thing; but when a cashier or
manager or director gets away with some
or the cash, the insanity plea is not in
frequently used
The fact is, the easy escape from de-
served punishment of gentlemanlv bank
ViNNhSio 10 uolilS more TO breed anita
nism TO law and order than thousands of
1ncendiary anarchist speeches The citizen
VINO mas been robbed of all his money nv
bank officers and sees them walking at
liberty and posing as honest citizens. nat
uraliy resents such indulgence, and would
IKE TO know how the law can make these
distinctions in criminals of equal guilt.
Inc burglar goes to the penitentiary The
bank wrecker very often meets with NOT
the slightest Interference with his liberty
and lives high on the fruits of his pecula
ton. i'
After the City of Glasgow hank ,,,s
wrecked by its own officials in 1873 tho
loss to the shareholders being almost s21 :
ooVoo' the fabricators Of false accounts
within the bank were tried as criminals
ana several of them were convicted and
sentenced to Imprisonment, while the nor-
sonal liability of the trustees comnallod
them to give up their estates TO foot the
loss. Seven directors had to 60 70 tho
Pehltehtlary to reflect upon their crimes.
IL the parties responsible for saw half a
tUAeh oi the cases Of bank wrecking in
tEls country We're promptly arrested in
dfcted, tried and convicted on nroof -
CUNT and sent to peritentiaries as other
burglars are, there would be less hank
wreckins and bank looting."
All of which is very true: mt tho
journal neglected to refer to the great
est evil of all.
These American bankers (many of
"hom are now in PRISON., were the very
men who controlled the last presidential
election. They spent their money mr.
tne money of their depositors. in cor
ruptlng the voters; they inundated
those who We're in debt to them. tbov
lied like 10000 troopers and told rho
people that if Mckinley was elected tba
ha'- cay would dawn upon a redeemed
+ and universally prosperous pe,ple-
there should be no more idle factories
or starving workmen: no more suicides
or turbulence but everything should he
happy and every body prosperous.
THE MOST HORRIBLE PART OF
EXISTING CONDITIONS Is THAT
THIS MIGHTY REPUBLIC SHOIu,D
BE GOVERNED BY MONEY LEND
Frs! Men who thrive by the misfor.
tunes of their fellow men; men who as
rule, have no sympathy With man
kind, but who perpetually repeat the
cry OF the horseleachs daughters.
Give, give, give" blood, blood. blood
These are not the men who estah-
llshed the republic. They have been
parasites upon the prosperity created by
farmers, mechanics, miners, merchants
and manufacturers. 1t is doubtful if a
single money lender fought in the Re
voiutionary war; or in the war Of 1912:
or in the Mexican war; or in the civil
war. While others were freely Offering
their lives on the altar of their country
they asked "a Per cent annual interest
from the government, for the use of
their rag-paper, shin-plaster currency.
And now they are masters of every
thing. They own the republic. They
meet regularly in national conventions
to tell the people what to do And now
they are hard at work to destroy our
greenbacks, and arrange things so that
there shall NOT BE A DOLLAR OF