Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-02-10
An. An .Il..I}:ltJ ABUSE OF TT TRUSTS.
Or. TALMAGe breaches AGAINST Dis
HoNeSv TRANSACTIONS.
Timely Lessons Drawn From tho spi-
, dor and the F1y-The Web of Pecu-
Intion, which Causes the Ruin of
Many Men.

Many Men.
rcopyright, 1899. by American Press Asso-
ciation.1
WASHINGTON, Feb. 5.-This, like
many Of DR.. Talmage's discourses, rec
ommends right doing for this world as
we'll as preparation for the heavenly
world; text. Job viii, IA. "Whose trust
shall be spiders web. "
The two most skillful architects in
all the world are the bee and the spider.
The one puts up sugar mandatory,
and the other builds slaughter house
for flies. On 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 suspension bridge for
aerial beings to cross on. But alas for
the poor fly which in the latter part Of
that very day ventures on it and Is
caught and dungeoned and destroyed
The fly was informed that it was 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
20 the web and the marauding spider
and the victimized Ay 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.OOO,-
600 Of them to make thread as large
rs the human hair. Most cruel as well
as most ingenious is the spider. A pris-
oner in the Bastille, France, had one so
trained that at the sound Of the violin
II every day came for It's meal Of flies
The author Of my text, who was lead
ing scientist Of his day, had no doubt
watched the voracious process OF this
one insect with another and saw spider
and fly swept down with the same
broom or scattered by the same wind
Alas that the world has so many de-
signing spiders and victimized flies
There has not been a time when the
utter and black responsibility OF many
men having the financial interests OF
others in charge has been more evident
than in these last few years The bank.
ruptcv Of banks and disappearance OF
administrators with the funds OF large
estates and tho disordered accounts OF
United States officials have sometimes
made a pestilence Of crime that solemn
ICES every thoughtful man and woman
and leads every philanthropist and
Christian to ask, What shall be done to
stay the plagueS There is ever and
anon a monsoon Of swindle abroad
tvpboon. a sirocco. l sometimes ask
myself if it would not be better fol
men making wills to bequeath the prop
erty directly to the executors and ON
GERS of the court and appoint the wld'
ows and orphans a committee to SEE
/ that the former got all that did not be-
| long to them The simple fact Is tha'
there are a large number OF men sailing
yachts and driving fast horses anC
members Of expensive clubhouses anc
controlling country seats who are no'
worth a dollar if they return to Others
their Just rights Under some suddeI
reverse they fail, and with afflicted ali
seem to retire from the world and seen
almost ready for monastic life, when II
two or three years they blossom ou
again, having compromised with thei
creditors-that is. paid them nothing
but regret. and the only difference DO
tween the second chapter OF prosperit.
and the first is that their pictures ar
Murillos instead Of Kensetts and thei
horses 20 a mile in 90 seconds less thai
, their predecessors, and instead OF on
country seat they have three l hav
watched and have noticed that MIN
out Of ten Of those who fail in what
called high life have More means afte
than before the failure. and in many Q
the cases failure is only stratagem I
escape the payment of.honest debts an
mt the world off the track while the
nractice a large swindle. There is some
thing woefully wrong in the TACT ina
these things are possible
where the Responsibility Rests
First of all, l charge the blame o
careless. indifferent bank directors an
S boards having in charge great hnancii
l.. institutions. 1t ought not to be possibI
for a president or cashier or prominer
> officer Of a banking institution to swir
die it year after year without detection
2 I will undertake to say that If the'
, frauds are carried on for two or thr'
wears without detection either the d
) rectors are partners in the infamy an
J. nocket part Of the theft or they a.
+ guilty Of a culpable neglect OF duty Il
vhich God will hold them as respons
ble as he holds the acknowledged d
frauders. What right have prominel
! business men to allow their names to
u published as directors in a financial Il
= stitution so that unsophisticated peop
are thereby induced to deposit the
! money in or buy the scrip there
- when they. the published directors a
doing nothing for the safety OF the
stitutionY 1t isa case of deception mo
o renrehensible. Many people with
surnlus of money. not needed for imm
diate use. although it may be hit
further on indispensable, are witho
Y friends competent to advise them al
. they are guided solely by the charact
of the men whose names are associat
With the institution When the era
came and with the overthrow OF :
hanks went the small earnings ana III
,e tied fortunes of widows and crpha
. and the helplessly aged. the direct.
n stood with idiotic stare, and to the
~ ouirv of the frenzied depositors a
II stockholders who had lost their all. a
ne 10 the a1raignment OF an indisna
lis public, had nothing to say except ~
to thought it was all right. We did !
in know there was anything wrong goi
.ly ON - 1t was their duty to know. Al
We stood in position which deluded
ire neople with the idea that they W
er carefully observant Calling themsel'
10 directors, they did not direct III
had opportunity of auditing accou
r.. and inspecting the books No time
A. do soH Then they had no business
accept the position 1t seems TO be
I'll man IN Ia