Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1899-02-09
SWINDLE Is ABROAD.
DR.. Talmage breaches on the Prev
alence of Crime.
ENcryvhcre Are Men Who Have
Abused the Trust Reposcd In
Ihem-Thc Evils of spec
ulntlon.

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. \, II:
Whose trust SHAH be n spiders web"
The two most skillful architects IN
the world are the bee aud the spider.
The one puts up sugar mandatory
and the other builds a slaughter house
for flies. On bright summer morn
ing, when the sun comes out and shines
upon the spiders web, bedecked with
dew, the rossamer structure seems
bright enough for suspension bridge
for 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 aud dungeoned and destroyed,
The fly was informed that il was
free bridge. and would cost nothing.
but at the other end of he 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
lauding spider and the ,ictimizcd fly.
the spiders web that many thousands
Of them are put together before they
become visible to the human eve, and
II takes 100000 of them to make
thread as large as the human hair. Most
cruel as well as most ingenious I. the
spider. \ prisoner in the Bastile.
France, had one 80 trained that at the
sound of the violin il every day came
for its meal of flies. The author of
my text, who was 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 vie
timiled flies. There has rot been a
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
disordcred accounts of United States
officials have sometimes made a pes
thence of crime that solemnizes every
thoughtful man and woman and leads
every philauthropist and Christian TO
ask: What shall be done TO stay the
plague?
There IL ever and anon monsoon Of
swindle abroad. typhoon, a sirocco.
! sometimes ask myself if it would not
he better for men making wills TO be-
queath the property directly TO the ex-
ccutors and officers Of the court and APP
point the widows and orphans Il COM
nittee 10 see that the former got all
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 ard 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
monastic life, when In two or three
years they blossom out again, having
compromised with their creditors-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 out 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 woefuily wrong in the fact
that these things are possible.
First of all. | charge the blame on
careless, indifferent bank directors and
boards having in charge great financial
institutions. IL ought not 10 be posi-
BILE for n president or cashier or prom
inent officer of a banking institution ia
swindle il year after year without de
lection. ! will undertake to say that
il these frauds are carried on for two
or three years without detection either
the directors are partners In the in
fanny and pocket part of the theft or
they are guilty of a culpable neglect OF
duty, for which God will hold them as
responsible as He holds the acknowl.
edged defrauders. What right have
prominent business men 10 allow their
names to be published as directors in q
| financial institution, SO that unsophis-
ticated people are thereby induced to
deposit their money in or buy the scrip
thereof, when they, the published di.
rectors, are doing nothing for the safe
| ~ of the institution? 1t is case OF
deception most reprehensibie.
Many people with surplus OF
| money, not needed for immediate use
although il may he Il little further on
| indispensable, are without friends
competent 10 advise them, and they are
guided solely by the character of the
men whose names are associated with
| the institution. When the crash came
and 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 10 the inquiry OF
the frenzied depositors and stock
holders who had lost their all and tc
the arraignment of an indignant pub
lis had nothing to say except: 1--WE
thought it was all right. We did not
know there was anything wrong go
ing on" 1t was their duty to know
They stood in position which delud'
ed the people with the idea that they
were carefully obseryant. Calling
themselves directors, they did not di
rect. They had opportunity of audit
ing accounts and inspecting the books
No time to do so? Then they had nc
business to accept the position. II
seems TO be the pride Of some moneyed
men TO be directors in n great many in
situations, and all they know is wheth
er or not they get their dividends regu
larly, and their names are used rs decoy
ducks to bring others near enough to
be made game of. What first of all is
needed is that 500 bank directors ant
insurance company directors resign oil
attend to their business as directors