The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1899-02-08
SWINDIE is ABROAD.
Dr.. Talmage breaches on the Prev
alence of Crime.
Everywhere Are Men who Have
Abused the Trust Reposed in
Them-The Evils of Spec
ulatiOn.

This, like many of DR.. Talmage's dis
courses, recommends right doing for
this world, as we'll as preparation for
the Heavenly world. Text, Job, s, Ia:
Whose trust shall be spiders web"
The two most skillful architects in
the world are the bee and the spider.
The one puts up sugar manufactory
and the other builds slaughter house
for flies. On a bright summer morn
ing, when the sun comes out and shines
upon the spiders web, bedecked with
dew, the gossamer structure seems
bright enough for suspension bridge
Tor aerial beings to cross on. But alas
for the poor fly which in the latter
part of that 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 goes the web and the ma
rauding spider and the victimized fiy.
30 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 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 a learned scientist of
his day, had no doubt watched the vo-
racious process of this one insect with
another and saw spider and fly swept
down by the same broom or scattered
by the same wind. Alas that the world
has SO many designing spiders and VIC
timized flies! There has not been
time when the utter and black ire
sponsibiiity 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 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
swindle abroad, typhoon, a sirocco.
sometimes ask myself if it would not
be better for men making wills to be-
queath the property directly to the ex-
ecutSrs and officers of the court and ap-
point the widows and orphans COM
mittee to see that the forner gotAlld
that did not belong to them. The simple
fact is that there are 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 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
monastic life, when in two or three
years they blossom out again, having
compromised with their rcreditors-that
is, paid them nothing but regret--and
the only difference between the second
chapter of prosperity and the first is
that their pictures are Murillos instead |
of Kensetts, and their horses go mile |
IN 20 seconds less than. their predeces-
sors, and instead of one country seat |
they have three. / have watched and
have noticed that nine cut of ten of !
those who fail in what is called high |
life have more means after than be-
fore the failure, and in many of the /
cases failure is only stratagem to es-
cape the payment of honest debts and
put the world off the track while they
PRACTICE large swindle. There is
something woefully wrong in the fact
hat these things are possible.
First of all, / charge the blame on
careless, Indifferent bank directors and
boards having in charge great financial |
Institutions. 1t ought not to be posi-
Die for president or cashier or prom
nent officer of o banking institution to
'windle it year after year without de-
lection. ! will undertake to say that |
f these frauds are carried on for two
'r three years without detection either
.he directors are partners in the in
fanny and pocket part of the theft or
they are guilty of culpable neglect OF |
duty, for which God will hold them as
as He holds the acknowl-
.dged defrauders. What right have
prominent business men to allow their
names to be published as directors in a
financial institution, so that unsophis-
.icated people are thereby induced to
deposit their money in or buy the scrip |
thereof, when they, the published di-
rectors, -.'e doing nothing for the safe
ty of L institution? 1t is a case of |
deception most rePrehensible.
Many people with surplus Of
money, not needed for immediate use.
although it may be little fuE,aer on
indispensable, are without friends
to advise them, and theyare
guided solely by the character of the
men whose names are associated with |
the institution. When the crash came
ind 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 idiotic stare, and to the inquiry of |
the frenzied depositors and stock
holders who had lost their all and to