St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-03-11
SWINDLE is ABROAD.
D.. Talmage breaches on the Prev
alence Of Crime.
Everywhere Are Men Who Have
Abused the Trust Repoxcd in
Them-The Evils or Spcc.
ulatiOn.

| NHose trust shan De SPIDERS Web.
| The two most skilIful architects IN
the world are the bee ard the spider.
The one puts mp sugar mandatory
and sne other builds slaughter house
for dies. On a bright summer morn
ing, when the sun comes out and shines
upon the spider, web, bedecked with
dew, the gossaraer 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 and dungeoned and destroyed!
The fly WIGS informed that i, was
Tree bridge, ard 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 fly.
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 100000 of them to make a
thread as large as the human hair. Most
| cruel as well cs most ingenious i. 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 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 soiemnizes 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, a typhoon, a sirocco.
l sometimes ask myself if it would not
be better for men making wills to be-
queath the property directly to the eX-
ecutors and officers OF the court and APP
point the widows and orphans COM
mittee to 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 and controlling country seats
who are not worth a dollar il 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 theircreditors-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. ard their horses so mile
In 90 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, aud 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 o large swindle. There Is
something woefully 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. 1t ought not to be posi-
BILE for president or cashier or prom
inent officer Of a banking institution to
swindle it 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 |
business men to allow their |
names to be published as directors in
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
ty Of the institution? It is q case OF
deception most reprehensibie.
Many people with a surplus OF
money, not needed for immediate use,
although it may be little further on
are without friends
to 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 ard 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
the arraignment of an indignant pub
lis had nothing to say except: I'VE
thought it was all right. We did not
know there was anything wrong go
ing on" It was their duty to know.
They stood In q position which delud-
ed the people with the idea that they
we're carefully observant. Calling
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 no
business to accept the position. 1t
seems to be the pride Of some moneyed
men to be directors in great many in
and all they know is wheth-
er or not they get their dividends regu-
Iarly, and their names are used as decoy
ducks to bring others near enough to
be made game Of. What first Of all is
needed Is that 500 bank directors and
insurance company directors resign or
attend 10 their business as directors.
The business world will be full OF fraud
Just a. long as fraud il 30 easy. When
you arrest the president and secretary
81 = bunk for an embezzlement carried