Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1903-09-25
'.BANKERS AND OTHERS.

=
: (Response to Toast at th
Bankers Banquet, Hopklnsville, a
l o'clock a, m. Sept. 17th, by Chas
M. Meacham. Published at his ow
S request)
n Philip of Macedon, when at tn
e zenith of his glory and power. II
! order to withstand the adulatIon o
those who sought to defy him, useG
to take with him a trusted otficia
on public occasions to whom he
paid large salary. 1t was this
officials duty to stand behind Phil
ip's chair and whenever he saw
that the conqueror was in danger
of imagining himself god, his in
structions were to lean over and
whisper into his ear "Pbilip, re-
member thou art a man."
II is my duty to whisper into the
ears of the couquering heroes Of
finance, who have stopped eating to
hear me speak. You are the whole
push here tonight, but remember
there are others.
1t requires a deal of intrepidlty
lor ms 10 speak to your faces what
l know about bankers. The bank
er is a man who takes care of mon
ey tor newspaper men and other
millionaires. Money lending was
recognized calling away back in
the days of Moses, and the descend
ants of Moses are still holding their
own in the business, the greatest
bankers If the world-present com.
pany of course excepted-belng the
Rothschilds OF England Modern
banking in Europe was not at first
distinct profession, but was an
dertaken by goldsmitns and jewel
Frs. Ii was soon found that bank
3 tns was entitled 10 be something
. more than a side line. Nowadays
/ conditions have been reversed and
"your uncle at the Three Balls
Bank sometimes takes in iewelry
as a side line.
The banks of ancient Greece and
Rome exercised nearly the same
functions as those of to day, except
that they were not banks OF issue,
and were not blown up by dyna.
mite. The Bank of Venice was the
first in the history of modern Eu
rope. Since the modern bank had
its origin in the city af canals and
gondolas, We can understand why
bInk stock J., 80 easily watered.
The 100 lcy.dealers OF Florence
were IN high reputc as early as the
18th ceLtur,
E Ii the l7th century the business
, OF banking was introduced into
F. En- Iaud 0y the goldsmith, Of Lon.
don, who Uurrowed 1t from II lllaud
Inc Bduk ol Eugiaud was found
ed II 1904 b. William Paterson,
Sco'chman. The government be
, came heavy borrower and 81
many others struck Mr.. Paterson
for loans that in two years tn
question, "Who struck Billy Pat
t.rson?" became a problem unset
tied to this day. The bank wa
aided by the government and in
70 creased its capital from six millio
: to eleven million dollars Ito expires
it in dollars) and weathered tn
storm. The present capital is nearl
! S73, 900, 900 and the Bank of Eng
Hand, incredible as 1t may seem
s does more business than all four @
# the Hopkiusville banks combined
= The first banks founded in tn
!. United States were state banks an
J.. it was the practice before the civ
+ war to allow the state banks I
{ issue notes. But in course of tim
). tue use of money in politics brougt
n on such increased demands tina
S the government found that th
q banks could not make money a
fast as the politicians could spen
s it, without going into bankruptcy
Il and so the system was changed
;. Bankers are men of eminent n
spectability. Fetter's pictor;
compilation of the notable men (
!. Kentucky, places the bankers