The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-10-11
A PRECEDENT.
It Is Established BY Treasurer.
Elect Hiney.
Instead OF Calling Upon his Friends
Bondsmea He Furnishes the
Bond Of , Surety Company in
the Sam Of $4,000


Youngstown CohioO Telegram: CITY
and County Treasurer-elect James HI
ney, who takes once on the hrst Mon-
day in September, Is obliged by statute
to furnish bond In the sum Of $lso, 0oo.
and to-day has established praise
worthy precedent by hling one Uigned
by surety company instead Of indl-
yiduaH friends.
The friends Of Mr. Hlney would sign
his bond quite as cheerfully as would
those Of any other man in the city Of
Youngstown and Il Is a matter Of, no
little credit to him that he is willing to
pay.a substantial fee rather than ask a
favor which he knows would be freely
and gladly granted. 1t is also matter
Of some credit that he ID able to obtain
surety company bond at all in such
an amount for these companies scruti-
nlze the character habits and history
Of the man to whom they lend their re-
sponstbility with patnstahng care and
the utmost caution. particularly where
the amount involved Is large.
Mr.. Hiney's bond IS the largest re-
CURED Of any official in the county and
II signed BY individuals would probably
take the names of from 80 to 40 land
owners, all OF whose titles the county
would be obliged TO examine at Its own
expense. But the fact that the county
is saved some expense by this action IS
neither the only reason why It 10 COM
mendable, nor even the most important
one.
The signing Of bonds is thing which
all solvent persons Justly dread, no
matter how near or sure the friend who
asks 1t, 1t means an indefinite, immeas-
uFnble and permanent risk for which no
compensation u received and from
which no possible profit can arise; It Is
the giving Of an indefinite and perhaps
ruIRous something for a definite Moth
ing, and II places the recipient under an
obligation whose fulhllment Is never
pleasant. often dangerous and some
times disastrous.
When viewed thoughtfully 1t is lit
tie strange that men who In other mat
tiers seek and maintain fair measure
Of independence, who mean to return
fair compensation for all services rem
dered to them, In this matter OF sign
ing bonds will ask without hesitancy or
feeling Of any kind for a favor whose
cost they can not measure, for nothing.
and ask 1t indeed with no thought Of
being denied, and cherish grudge a
lifetime II they are. The same men
would ridicule the suggestion that they
ask the same friends to give them the
amount Of money necessary to pur-
chase surety company bonds, but that
is what It amounts to and 1t is also an-
alogous to requesting friends to present
one with a life insurance policy free.
The time will come, doubtless, when
fidelity insurance will be as It should
be, no less common than FIRE insurance
and perhaps the only reason why It Is
not now is the proneness Of human ma
ture to cling to time-worn customs and
habits Of thinking. Viewed in the light
of an abstract proposition, individual
bond signing Is quite incompatible with
the present day sense Of fairness, and
Mr.. Hiney's action will be heartily ap-
plauded by host of sufferers from the
bond habit, and we trust efnulated very
largely by all who are called upon to
furnish the Instruments.
H. F. Behrens. jr., room G. City Bank
Of Wheeling. is the general agent Of The
American Bonding and Trust Co. for
West Virginia, and furnishes these
bond Persons In need Of surety bonds
should apply to him.