Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-02-22
SERMONS OF THE DAY.,


PFssehs1 ~ Rev. D.. TaIaass.
Subject: "Dishonest Transaetions''-0ns
Of the Crying Evils OF Modern Life 10
tho Abuse OF fTrust-Bewareo ofthe Web
ofPeculati0n-Advice to Business Mon.
TEXT: "whose trust shall be spiders
web. wifi. IA.
The two most skillful architects in all tho
world are the bee and the spider. The ono
puts up a sugar manufactory and tho other
builds slaughter house for flies. On a
bright summer morning when the sun
comes out and shines upon the spiders
web. bedecked with dew, the gossamer
structure seems bright enough for a sus-
pension bridge for aerial heings to cross
on. Put alas for the poor ny which in the
latter part of that very day ventures on It
and Is caught and dungeoned and de-
stroyedl The fly was Informed that It was
q free bridge and would cost nothing, but
at the other end Of the bridge the toll paid
was its own life. The next day there
comes down a strong wind, and away go
the victimized ny. So delicate are the
silken threads Of the spiders web that
many thousands OF them are put together
before they become visible to the human
eye, and It takes 4, 600 900 of them to make
q thread as large as the human hair. Most
cruel as well as most Ingenious is the
spider. A prisoner in the Bastille, France,
had one so trained that at the sound fthe
violin ii every day came for its meal OF
flies. The author of my text, who was q
leading scientist of his day, had no doubt
watched the voracious process Of this one
insect with another and saw spider and ny
swept down with the same broom or scat
tered by the same wind. Alas that the
world has SO many designing spiders and
victimized fiiesi
There has not been time when the
utter and black irresponsibility OF many
men having the financial interests OF
others in charge has been more evident
than in these last few years. The bank
ruptcy Of banks and disappearance Of ad-
illustrators with the funds Of large estates
officials have sometimes made a pestilence
OF crime that solemnizes every thoughtful
man and woman and leads every philan-
thropist and Christian to ask, What shall
be done to stay the plague? There is ever
and anon monsoon of swindle abroad, a
typhoon, a sirocco. l sometimes ask N.Y.
self IL 1t would not be better for men max
ing wills to bequeath the property directly
to the executors and officers of the court
and appoint the widows and orphans a
committee to see that the former got all
that did not belong to them. The simple
men sailing yachts and driving fast horses
and members OF expensive clubhouses and
controlling country seats who are not
worth a dollar II they return to others
their just rights. Under some sudden re-
verse they fail, and with afflicted air seem
to retire from the world and seem
almost ready for monastic life, when in two
or three years they blossom out again, hav.
ing compromised with their creditors-that
is, paid them nothing but regret. and the
only difference between the second chap
ter of prosperity and the first is that their
pictures are Murillos instead Of Kensetts
and their horses go a mile in twenty Sec
onds less than their predecessors, and in
stead OF one county seat they have three.
have watched and have noticed that nine
out of ten of those who fail In what Is called
high life have more means after thar be-
fore the failure, and in many Of th- ses
! failure Is only a stratagem to esc6pe the
payment Of honest debts and put the world
OF the track while they practice a large
swindle. There Is something woefully
wrong in the fact that thesethings are pos
sible.
First OF all, I charge the blame on care
less, Indifferent bank directors and boards
having in charge great financial institu-
tions. 1t ought not to be possible for a
president or cashier or prominent officer
Of banking Institution to swindle it yeaI
after year without detection. / will under.
take to say that II these frauds are carried
on for two or three years without detec-
tfon either the directors are partners in
the infamy and pocket part of the theft OF
they are guilty of a culpable neglect oil
duty for which God will hold them as re.
sponsible as He holds the acknowledged de-
frauders. What right have prominent
business men to allow their names to be
published as directors in q financial fnsti.
tuition so that unsophisticated people are
thereby induced to deposit their money In
Z L..
published directors, are doing moth.
ing for the safety Of the institution
1t is case of deception most
reprehensible. Many people with a surplus
Of money, not needed for immediate use
although it may be a little further on in.
dispensable, are without friends competent
to advise them, and they are guided solely
by the character of the men whose names
are associated with the institution. When
the crash came and with the overthrow OF
the banks went the small earnings and
limited fortunes of widows and orphans
and the helplessly aged, the directors
stood with tdiotic stare, and to the inquiry
of the frenzted depositors and stockholders
who had lost their all, and to the arraign-
ment Of an indignant public, had nothing
to say except: I'VE thought it was all
right. We did not know there was any.
thing wrong going on" 1t was their duty
to know. They stood in q position which
deluded the people with the Idea that they
were carefully Observant. Calling them
selves directors, they did not direct. Thy
had opportunity Of auditing accounts and
inspecting the books. No tins to dc so2
Then they had no business to accept the
position. 1t seems to be the pride of some
moneyed men to be directors in a great
many Institutions, and all they know is
whether or not they get their dividends
regularly, and their names are used as de-
coy ducks to bring others near enough to
be made game Of. What first of all is
needed is that 500 bank directors and in
surance company directors resign or at
tend to their business as directors. The
business world will be full Of fraud just as
long as fraud Is so easy. When you arrest
the president and secretary OF q bank for
an embezzlement carried on for many years,
be sure to have plenty Of sherins out the
same day to arrest ali the directors. They
are guilty either Of neglect or completely.
. We must especially deplore the misfor-
! tunes Of banks in various parts OF this
country in that they damage the banking
institution, which is the great convenience
| of the centuries and indispensable to COM
merce and the advance Of nations. With
one hand 1t blesses the lender. and with
the other 1t blesses the borrower. On
their shoulders are the interests OF private
individuals and great corporations. In
them are the great arteries through which
run the currents Of the nations life. They
have been the resources OF the thousands
OF fnanciers In days OF business extgency.
They stand for commodatioD. for facil-
ity, for individual, State and national re-
/ lief. At their head and in their manage
ment there are as much interest and moral
worth as In any class OF men, perhaps
more. How nefarious, then, the behavior
Of those who bring disrepute upon this
venerable, benignant and God honored in
stitution.
! We also deplore abuse Of trust funds be-
cause the abusers a In the face Of divine
goodness which seems determined to bless
this land. We are having series Of unex-
ampled national harvests. Tho wheat
gamblers get hold Of the wheat, and the
corn gamblers ges hold Of the corn. The
full tide Of Gods mercy toward this land Is
put back by those great dikes OF dishonest
resistance. When God provides enough
food and clothing to feed and apparel this
whole nation like princes, the scramble Of
! dishonest men to get more than their share,
| and get II at all hazards, keeps everything