The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-07-15
Responsibility.

There are men-you know them and |
know them-who are sailing EatchtS. anu
driving fast horses, and holding member-
ship in expensive clubs, and owning
country seats, who would not be worth
a dollar if they returned to others their
lust rights A crash comes, and there is
a reverse. AMI the man fails, and he re-
tires from the world, and seems about to
go into monastc life; but in two or three
years he blossoms out again.. having COM
promised with his creditors-that is, paid
them nothing but regrets-and the only
difference between the second chapter
OF prosperity and the first chapter
of prosperity is that in his picture gallery
now he has Raphaels and Murillos in
stead of kensetts, and his horses so the
mile twenty seconds sooner than their
predecessors, ana instead of one country
seat he has three. I have watched and |
have noticed that nine out of ten OF the
failures in what is called high life leave
men with more money after the 1allure
than they had before. and that their fail
ure is only a stratagem to get rid Of the
payment of honest debts and to put the
world off the track while they introduce
a more stupendous swindle-
1t is most appalling that these things are
possible. I blame, first of all, directors
of banks and boards having in charge
great financial interests. 1t ought not to
be possible for the president of a bank, or
the cashier or any officer to carry on a
swindle in an institution. year after year
and year after year without detection. II
a swindle so on one year, two years, three
years four years in a moneyed institu-
ton. the directors either have part in the
infamy and pocket their share of the theft
or they are guilty of negligence tor
which God will hold them as responsible
as he holds the acknowledged defrauders
yr>..r R,,,c fr,nS- q
to allow their names to be advertised as
directors. so that the unsophisticated put
their money in the institution, or buy the
scrip thereof when the directors do notn-
ing for the safety of that institution? IL
is a deception appalling and monstrous,
and in the name of God and the rights
of men I denounce 1t.
Many with small surplus an0 with
money not needed for immediate use,
Int which will. after a while. be indis-
pensable, have no friends capable OF ad-
vising them, and in consequence they
take the moral character OF men aver
tised as directors. And there are people
who say: II don't know anything about
these things, but there is g, man who Is
in that beard of directors, and there IS a
man. and there is a man, and | know they
are all good men, and prosperous business
men. and they would not have anything
to do with that which is dlshonorahe
When the bank goes over. then the small
earnings and the fortunes of widows and
orphans and the helplessly aged go with
the bank. and the directors stand with
idiotic stare and when the inquiry Is
made by the frenzied depositors and stock
holders. and when outraged community
arraigns them the directors say: 'Oh, L
thought it was all right; I didn't know
there was anything wrong They ought
to have known. They stood In position
where. they deluded the public with the
idea that they did know. and that they
were carefully observant of what was go
ing on. Advertised as directors, they did
not direct.-Christian Herald.