The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1899-03-16
VOL. XXXVIII.
sWINDIIE Is ABROAD.
\, ralmage breaches on the Prev
alence of Crime.
vuhere Are Men Who Have
An.sed the Trust RepOsed In
rhem-The Evils of Spec
ulatiOn


courses. recommends right doing for
mi, world, as well as preparation for
,be Heavenly world. Text, Job, s, II:
aWbose trust shall be a spiders web .
The two most skillful architects in
n. world are the bee and the spider.
The one puts up sugar mandatory
.nA the other builds slaughter house
for fies. On bright summer morn
ine. when the sun comes out and shines
upon the spiders web, bedecked with
dew. the gossamer structure seems
bright enough for suspension bridge
for aerial beings to cross OH. But alas
for the poor fly which in the latter
mart of that day ventures on it and
i, caught and dungeoned and destroyed!
The ay was informed that it was a
free bridge, and would cost nothing.
hut at the other end Of the bridge the
toll paid was its own life. The next
dsy there comes down strong wind,
and away goes the web and the ma
rauding spider and the victimized fly.
10 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
II takes 100000 of them to make a
thread as large as the human hair. Most
cruel as well as most ingenious is the
spider. A prisoner in the Bastile,
France, had one so trained that at the
sound Of the violin it every day came
for Its meal OF flies. The author of
my text, who was learned scientist of
bis day, had no doubt watched the vo-
racious process Of this one insect with
smother and saw spider and fly swept
down by the same broom or scattered
BY the same wind. Alas that the world
hss so many designing spiders and VIC
timized flies! There has not been a
time when the utter and black ire
aponsibiiity of many men having the
financial interests of others in charge
has been more evident than in these last
few years. The bankruptcy of banks
and disappearance of administrators
with the funds of large estates, and the
disordered accounts of United States
officials have sometimes made a pes
thence of crime that solemnizes every
thoughtful man and woman and leads
every philanthropist and Christian to
ask: What shall be done to stay the
plague?
There is ever and anon monsoon of
twindle abroad, typhoon, sirocco.
sometimes ask myself if it would not
Be better for men making wills to be-
queath the property directly to the ex.
ecutors and officers of the court and ap-
point the widows and orphans a COM
nittee to see that the former got all
That did not belong to them. The simple
fact is that there are large number
o. men sailing yachts and driving fast
horses and members of expensive club
houses and controlling country seats
Who are not worth dollar if they re-
turn to others their just rights. Under
some sudden reverse they fail, and
With afflicted air seem to retire from
the world, and seem almost ready for
inonastic life, when in two or three
years they blossom out again, having
compromised with their creditors-that
z, paid them nothing but regret-and
me only difference between the second
chapter of prosperity and the first is
mat their pictures are Murillos instead
of kensetts, and their horses go mile
~ 20 seconds less than their predeces-
sors, and instead of one country seat
tney have three. l have watched and
nave noticed that nine out of ten o1
tnose who fail in what is called high
NE have more means after than be.
lore the failure, and in many of the
cases failure is only a stratagem to es.
cape the payment Of honest debts and
put the world off the track while they
practice a large swindle. There i.
something woefully wrong in the fac,
mat these things are possible.
First OF all, | charge the blame OF
careless, Indifferent bank directors ant
ooards having in charge great financial
Institutions. 1t ought not to be posi-
ole Tor president or cashier or prom
apent officer of banking institution I,
s6indle 1t year after year without de
lection. will undertake to say tha,
y these frauds are carried on for two
ef three years without detection either
me directors are partners in the in
iamy and pocket part of the theft OF
.hey are guilty Of culpable neglect O
o0ty, for which God will hold them a.
esponsible as He holds the acknowl
sueed defrauders. What right hav'
prominent business men to allow thei
names to be published as directors in
ahsnclai institution, so that unsophis
heated people are thereby induced t,
aeposit their money in or buy the scril
.aefeof, when they. the published di
.sctors, are doing nothing for the safe
y Of the institution? 1t is case 0
ueeeption most reprehensibie.
Aany people with a surplus 0
money, not needed for immediate use
sitnough it may be a little further OF
saoispensable, are without friend
So.npetent to advise them, and they ar
kn'oed solely by the character of tn
men whose names are associated wit
ue institution. When the crash cam
sne with The overthrow of the bank