The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-20
BREWER ON GRAFT.
Supreme Court Justice Addresses Life
Insurance Agents.

Milwaukee, July 2O.-Justice David
J. Brewer of the United States SUI
preme court delivered a short address
before large assemblage of life in
surance agents in the Masonic building
in this city last night. He devoted.
most of his time to modern graft, and
praised President Roosevelt in his eff
fort to make public affairs pure and
honest.
This has been year which may
be characterized as one of great in
surance upheaval," he said. 1.-The re-
suit has been prejudiciaI to the inter
est OF a certain company and also to
the interest and business of others. I
believe there will result great benefit
to insurance business throughout the
world. The moment private pecuniary
gain is sought through the advantage
of a trust some one is guilty of graft
ing. For instance, these funds are the
funds of this insurance company and
this and that bank and this and that
trust company. We will take these
trust funds and put our assets in their
place and let the insurance company
carry them until we can sell them
risk of carrying them until such time
as they can sell the assets, the insur-
ance company may be able to pay its
interest in full as it has been doing
heretofore but the men who have
done this have not fulfilled their trust
with an eye single to the company's
benefit. They have sought to make
these funds insure to their private
gain and cast upon the company the
risk great or small of that speculation.
Why, do you suppose for moment
that Mr.. Ryan paid two and half
millions for property which under no
legal circumstances could pay him
more than or 4 per cent interest
with the idea that all he could get
would be this interest. There may be
such philanthropists but they are not
connected with insurance companies.
There was never a truer saying
than that by Grover Cleveland, that
public Office is a public trust There
is today so much grating going on
among public officials as to startle US.
1 am not speaking now about the
coarser kind of grating such as buy
ing votes, paying money, etc, which
we all condemn. I have reference to
the more insidious ways that the one
holding public Office is not carrying on
the duties of that Office with an eye
singly to his trust. in prostituting in
one way or another the Office for his
own gain or the gain of his ends.
''Take the president of the United
States. Along last winter San Do
mingo put itself on a financial footing.
Suppose the president had acted Sc
cretly and advised his friends to buy
up San Domingo bonds. Would not
that shock the people of the country
Yet. the government would lose moth
| ing and some would be private gamers.
Suppose the United States supreme
court would give out information in
advance of certain decisions. Would
not you revolt at such a transaction !?
1t would be unworthy-this would be
grating
"a month ago today I was in
| Tennessee. Invent to the hermitage
where lie the remains of Andrew
Jackson, and I thank God today that
there wassi another equally honest
president. 1t seemed as if 1 could
hear falling from the lips of Theodore
Roosevelt the words: Public affairs
must and shall be pure and honest
No president can do all the work. No
president or congress can do all this.
1t requires not merely action of Off
| Gals of the government but action of
every one that the administrations of
public affairs be kept pure and
honest"