The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-02-17
AN ABUSE OF TRUSTS
DIR. TALmAGE breaches AGAINST
DISHONEST TRANSACTIONS
Timely Lessons Drawn From the Spi.
der and the FIy-The Web of PecuI
ton, which Cause the Ruin of Many
Men

der and the FIy-The Web of PecuIa-
ton, which Causes the Ruin of Many
Men
Copyright. 1899, by American Prass As
ISOLATION.
This. like many of DR.. Talmage's dis
courses, recommends right doing for this
world as well as preparation for the
heavenly world; text. Job viii, IA, Whose
trust shall be a spiders web"
The two most skillful architects in ali
the world are the bee and the spider. The
one puts up a mandatory, and
the other builds a slaughter house for
flies. On a bright summer morning when
the sun comes out and shines upon the
spiders web, bedecked with dew, the
gossamar 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 a 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 web and
the ~marauding spider and the victimized
ny ~ lICh dAO Inv INV "
Of the spiders web that many thousands
OF them are put together before they
become visible to the human eye, and it
takes 1900, 900 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 BaStille, France, had
one so trained that at the sound of the
violin it every day came, for it's meal of
flies. The author of my text, who was a
leading scientist of his day, had no doubt
watched the Voracious process of this
one insect With another and saw Gnidar
and fly swept down with the same broom
or scattered by the same wind. Alas
that the world has so many designing
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
ruptcy of banks and disappearance of
administrators with the funds of large
estates and the discorded accounts of
United States officials have some times
ICES every thoughtful man and woman
and leads every philantropist and Chris
tan to ask What shall be done to stay
the plague? There is ever and anon a
monsoon of swindle abroad, a typhoon,
a sirOcco. | some times ask myself if it
would not be better for men making
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 SIM
pie fact is that there are a large number
Of men sailing yachts and driving fast
horses and members of expensive club
houses and controlling country seats who
are not worth a dollar if they return to
others their just rights. Under some sud
air seem to retire from the world and
seem almost ready for monastic life,
when in two or three years they bios
som out again having compromised with
their creditors-that is, paid them moth
ing but regret, and the only difference
between the second chapter of prosper
lty and the first is that their pictures are
Murillos instead of Kensetts and their
horses go a mile in twenty seconds less
than their predecessors, and instead of
one country seat they nave three. l nave
watched and have noticed that nine out
OF ten Of those who tall IN what is called
before the failure, and in many of the
cases failure is only a stratagem to es-
cape the payment of honest debts and
practice a large swindle. There is some
thing woefUlly wrong in the fact that
these things are possible.
WHERE THE RESPONSIBILITY
RESTS.
First of all. 1 charge the blame on
careless. Indifferent bank directors and
boards having in charge great financial
institutions. 1t ought not to be possible
Tor a president or cashier or prominent
officer of a banking institution to swim
Ole 1T year after year without detection.
/ Will undertake to say that if these
frauds are carried on for two or three
years without detection either the di-
%rectors are Datners in the infamy and
pocket part of the theft or they are
which God will hold them as RESPONSE
pie as he holds the acknowledged de-
frauders. What right have prominent
business men to allow their names to be
publisned as directors in a financial in
st1tution so that unsophisticated people
are thereby induced to deposit their
money IN or buy the scrip thereof when
they, the. published directors, are doing
nothing for the safety of the %institu-
reprehensible. Many people with a sur
plus of money, not needed for immediate
use although it may be a little further
competent to advise them, and thew are
guided solely by the character OF the
ne whose names are associated with
and with the overthrow of the banks
went the small earnings and limited for
neIplessIy aged, the directors stood with
ldltot1c stare, and to the inquiry of the
irenZled depositors and stockholders who
had lost their all, and to the arraignment
of an indignant public, had noting to
say except: 'fWe though it was all right.
We dld not know there was anything
know. They stood in a position IVY Wh,c 20
aeluded the people with the idea that
they We're carefully observant. Calling
They had. opportunity of auditing ac-
counts and inspecting the books. No time
10 DO SO? Then they had no business to
l. = SCCLIlo " it lle
pride OF some moneyed men to be d.
FeCtorS IN a great many institutions. and
az they know is whether or not they
got their dividends regularly, and their
names are used as decoy ducks to bring
oIhers near enough to be made game of,
what nrst of all is needed is that 800
9ank directors and insurance compan
directors resign or attend to their bust
ness as directors. The business world will
be full OF fraud as long as fraud is so
easy. When you arrest the president and
secretary of a bank for an embezzle-
ment carried on for many years, be sure
20 nave plenty or sheriffs out the same
day to arrest all the directors. They are
guilty either of neglect or completely.
Oh some will say, better preach
the gospel and let business matters
a.one." i reply. if your gospel does not
inspire common honesty in the dealings
OF men, the sooner you close up your
gospel and pitch it into the depths of
the Atlantic ocean the better. All or
thodox swindler is worse than a hetro-
dox swindler. The recitation of all the
c1techisms and creeds ever written and
partaking of all the communion chal-
ices that ever glittered in the churches