New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-06
"GRAFl" IN HIGH PLACES
SIMMONS RAPS TRUSTS.
Nezc- York Banker Says Carnival of
Theft Is Raging.

Annapolis, Nd, Oct. 5.-The annual conven-
ton Of the Maryland Bankers Association be-
gan here to-day and was attended by a large
number Of bankers from the counties and from
points outside the State. Addresses Of welcome
were delivered by Governor Warfield and Mayor
Douw. General John Gill; president Of the asso-
citation, delivered the annual address, and the
reports Of the secretary and treasurer were read
]. Edward Simmons. president Of the Fourth
National Bank OF Network, delivered an sd-
dress on Honesty Is the Best Policy in which
he said that dishonesty in high places in the
State the judiciary and great financial insgltu
tions and corporations, and palliation Of such
acts by the masses gravely threaten the future
OF the country Mr.. Simmons pointed TO the les
sons taught by the fall OF the ancient Roman
republic, the Reign OF Terror IN France and the
disasters which befen Russian arms in the re-
cent conflict in the Far East, all OF which. he
said were due to palliated dishonesty. He
continued:
I hear voices from the East and voices from
the West. i'll boding voices, voices from the
pulpit and the divine, voices from the College
and the educator, voices from the bench and the
bar. voices from the press and its sages, the
voice Of the President himself, denOuncing in
ringing tones and deploring the universal spread
Of selflshness in its meanest and most repulsivs
form. the form Of dishonesty. They bewail one
universal carnival of dishonesty. Alas! these
voices not unconfrmed.
He deplored the conditions which have led
men to tolerate the terms graft" and graft
ers." and said he feared the very use Of the
words was an indication Of mems tolerance OF
a thief and his trade. He called upon the men,
bers of the association to give their assistance
in remedying condition which makes it posi-
BILE "for men who pose as the salt Of the eartn
and who condemn without reserve, those who
steal $50 or forge check for 100. or accept
a bride to themselves make millions oy lying.
by MISREPRESENTATION, by fraud and by orloery,
without receiving punishment or even criticism.
while the man who steals the paltry sum Is sent
to Jail. .-,-,.. --,.. ,,t.
who, in the interest of corporations. OF the
trust, of the gas company OF the Tal4rOao coLn
MANY Of the insurance company. mas recourse
10 every villany damned in the Decalogue' VINO
does the deed OF highwayman Win the AT OF
saint" Mr.. Simmons continued:
Great CORPORATION and multi-millionaire enter
nrises whether conducted by the State or by It's
cirizans are modern groWthS. Their workings
/ and their dangers have not been and are not as
fully understood as their advantages IN the m
terest OF the nation and OF its ctlzens tner CARS
side should be investigated and set Iortn no less
lucidIy and forciby than their bright slde' an1
| their advantages should not De ignored A'i
| should their evils be fostered
| But precisely because all their dangerous IN
! huences are not yet known, because all tneir
/ deadly effects have not yet been discovered. IL
behooves US. as men and as citizens. 20 De eau
tious in creating financial and industrieI mon.
I
/ very nation that has created tnenl- - 49,.
/ Let US prudently but energeticaliy Top on moss
! features in the corporations already eNlst4ls
| which have proven unjust to the lndlVlou4 any
/ dangerous to the State Let US oeLo 90
punish without mercy those agents OF Ihe uuSJs
! who sin against the commandment -1hou sIlaIe
| not steal thou shalt not brloe, thou shs4l HOI
| use as thine own what belongs to others
| The ordinary thief Is personally ainehsote 70
| tba law The ordinary thief Is Il man without
| means and without power But the thleI VINO
! steals in the name OF q corporation, because ne
| Yields the influence Of that corporation, haS
| many times the power for mischief which the
| former has. -,
| money. he has the power because he Is more
| respected and therefore, less suspected oucn .
thief Is a far greater danger to the coI1InuHltt'
10 his fellow citizens, and especially TO the Cots-
! monwealth than the footpad, the burglar OF '"e
| pickpocket- 49, ., - b,,e
the piIferer Of a ptiful ten dollars Is deprived "a
! the opportunity OF doing further wrong D! IN
| prisonuent? Corporations are mere legaI en-
! titles and as such cannot be punished Du1
the director or trustee or coTpoE a.IOn "Iy
| steals or brides or appropriates is real person
| and he should be answeraole TO the law w
more SO as in all cases he profits oy MS Wroh nj
| doing and in many cases ne is the ol''S '
| who profits by it. ,.... =.
| honesty and uprightness in all business dear
| ings and limit and restrict the operations o.
| trusts 10 their beneficial uses. eliminating tno o
! mower to monopoliZs and Cypress. We shslIl 81
far IN the direction Of preventing the eNtehs'0H
OF this threatening evil
The feature OF the banquet tonight was 81
address by Charles J. Bonaparte, Secretary ..
the NAVY. on The Necessity for Indepenuens
Political Action on the Part Of the Men tioFe'N
ing the Finances OF the Country