Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-07-20
JUDGE BREWER ON CRAFT
Member Of Supreme Court Makes an Ad-
dress to Insurance Agents
MANIPULATION OF FUNDS DISHONEST
PrOstitutinE of Public or Private
Trusts by Trustee More Dam
EerOus than COarser
Kinds of Theft.

MILWAUKEE, July 1s.-Justice David J.
Brewer of the United States supreme court
delivered a short address before a large
assemblage of life insurance agents in the
Masonic building in this city tonight. He
devoted most Of his talk to modern graft
and praised President Roosevelt in his ef-
forts to make public AFFAIRS pure and honest
He said:
This has been a year which may be
characterized as one OF great insurance up
heayaL The result has been prejudicial
TO the interests of certain company and
also TO the interests and business OF others
d Ve DeIleVe there Will result great benefit to
insurance business throughout the world
Ihe moment private pecuniary gain is
sought through the advantage of trust
someone is guilty of grating. For in
stance. trust funds are the funds OF this
insurance company and this and that bank
anu tnis ana that trust company. We will
tdhe these trust funds put our assets in
their place and let the Insurance company
carry them until we can sell them with
Proht The company takes a risk OF carry
ING them until such time as they can sell
lhe assets, the insurance company may be
able TO pay It's interests in fun as II has
p Peen doing heretofore, but the men who
nave done this have not fulfilled their
trust with an eye single to the companys
beneht. They have sought to make these
i,Il iunus inure to their private gain and cast
upon the company the risk, great or small,
OF that speculation. Why, do YOU suppose
for ffoor moment that Mr.. Ryan paid $4,000
cumstances could pay him more than 8 or
per cent interest, with the idea that ali
ne ne could get would be this interest There
may be such philanthropists but they are
not connected with insurance companies
Public once "a Public Trust.
There was never a truer saving than that
py Grover Cleveland, that a public Office
Is public trust. There is TO-DAY SO much
ssateiRs 50 ~ golng on among public officials
as 70 startle us. am not speaking now
about the coarser kind OF grating, such
as s. puying votes, paying money, etc, which
w. NE al c0hoemn. | have reference to the
more lnsldlous ways that the one holding
public office is not carrying on the dutfes
OF that office with an eye single to his
other that office for his own gain or the
gain OF his friends.
Take the president of the United States.
along last winter, San Domingo put it.
self on financial footing. Suppose the
president had acted secretly and advised
ms friends TO buy up San Domingo bonds
country? Yet the government would lose
nothing and some would be private gain
ers. suppose the United States supreme
court Justices would give out information
IN advance of certain decisions? Wouldn't
you revolt at such a transaction. 1t would
be unworthy-this would be grating.
A month ago today | was in Tennessee.
l went to the Hermitage where lie the re-
mans of Andrew Jackson, and / thank
God today that there was another equally
honest president, and 1t seemed as If 1
could hear falling from the lips of Theo-
dore Roosevelt the words, public AFFAIRS
must and shall be pure and honest" no
president can do all the work. No presi-
dent or congress can do all this. It re-
quires not merely action Of officials of the
government, but action Of everyone that
the administration of public affairs be pure
and honest.
+. He concluded by saying:
The great body of the citizens are loyal
to the great work of building up the nation
and the Almighty will help us, and that
He will help US ! do believe and that we